Elephant Encounters

Welcome to our Elephant Encounter Page

Latest Update - Februaury 2003

I have just created this page! The first edition has pictures from our trip last year to Sri Lanka, where we visited the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela, the only one of it's kind in the world I believe.

 

 

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Sri lanka

In October 2003 we visited Sri Lanka, one of the highlights was visiting the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawela. Here we had an amazing time.

At Pinnawela there are about 50 to 60 elephants of all ages, all roam freely.

Here are the baby elephants being feed milk, this happens about 9am, 1pm and 5pm. This is the early morning feed.

There are several special elephants at the orphanage - one elephant had his foot destroyed by a land mine, apparently he was never fully accepted by the rest of the herd, but he seemed to mingle quite happily and he got quite a bit of attension from the keepers. They have a huge elephant, that was blinded by poachers after his ivory large tusks, he has his own area and is pampered, we were allowed to get up close and touch him and have photos taken. He had an air of being very peaceful to be with, showing a slight but calm interest in each new visitor, I felt totally at home being next to this massive animal. He had a great thick trunk he was always resting across his tusks.

Three times a day at 10am, 2pm and 4pm the elephants are taken from the reserve across the road, down an alley and into the river to bath. Everything stops for this event! We were at the end of the alley as the elephants came down, as they passed I touched several, I was that near! It was an amazing sight.

 

On the left is a baby being feed milk. On the right is a baby getting milk the natural way. Mother and baby totally at home with us humans walking around.
On the left is a free roaming baby elephant, only a few months old. This is the one we saw at the front of the herd, going down the alley being 'pushed' along by his family to the river. We walked amongst the elephants on the outer edge of the herd, there is no other place anywhere where you could do this, here is part of the herd roaming in an open area.
On the left posing with mother and youngster. On the right posing with the biggest elephant at the reserve, this huge pachyderm was blinded by poachers after his ivory tusks. Although he had to be kept in an enclosure, he was well looked after.

Here are two shots of the elephants coming down the alley towards the river.

Below are shots of the elephants having fun in the water.