Pinawella elephant nursery

The Pinnawala Elephant Haven is located in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka, 13 km from the town of Kegalle. In 1975, the shelter was opened by the Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka in order to save the elephant calves abandoned by parents in the jungle.
Over 4 decades, in the shelter about 80 elephants had found their home. It is the largest “domesticated” herd of those animals in the world!
Today, the shelter is one of the favorite places for tourists, where everyone can: feed elephants, take part in bathing an elephant or just watch them. Nearby there is a creative workshop where elephants paint pictures, and tourists watch this creativity with pleasure ..
The shelter area is a picturesque former coconut plantation on the MahaOya River.