Elephant Orphanage

There’s something joyful about baby elephants. Just the sight of them lolloping about is heartwarming to see. At Pinnawala, there are plenty of opportunities to observe junior jumbos and their amusing antics and even reach over and pat their prickly heads or have a turn at feeding milk.

In the year of 2011 there were 15 births took place following a successful breeding program. The naming ceremony that followed was quite the occasion with tourists gathered to witness the christening of a lively jostling bunch of jumbos. The visitors even enjoyed the privilege of having a baby elephant's name after them. As a result, some of the youngsters today have names such as Elvina, Trinkie and Binuki – a diversion from traditional names such as Mahasen, Kumari and Kandula.

While there have been no births since 2011 the breeding program is set to begin again. Of the 15 youngsters, most have already weaned from their mothers, but still remain close to maternal protection and company. This is seen especially during bathing times, which occur soon after feeding times twice a day. The herds shuffle along in a long column and cross the road to reach Ma Oya- a sight that is reminiscent of some great migration. The youngsters huddle close to their mother or huddle close to their mother or hardly ever wander too far, except on a few occasions when the fun and frolic of daily ablutions become all too exciting.

With a timetable of feeding, bathing and more feeding and more bathing, the orphanage is haven for elephants to get about their daily routine. However, several babies remain in the enclosure while the herd sets out to the river. These few are some of the youngest in the orphanage and have been brought to the orphanage by the Wildlife Department. Orphaned in the wild these jumbos find safety and comfort at Pinnawala. Less than 1.5 years of age, they are fed staggering quantities of milk and feeding times are extended for longer periods than that of the rest. These moments are crowd favorites as the youngsters gulp down all too eagerly, liters and liters of milk, and the show of impatience involving shoving, and nudging each other makes for endearing moments. While the rest lounge around in the river the orphaned babies who are without an adult elephant to tend to them, instead receive the care and attention of a mahout who bathes them at the enclosure.

Aside from milk some youngsters have already begun feeding on solids, such as coconut palms. Kitul palm and logs, and jack fruit branches. Often, older youngsters use size to their advantage to block smaller members from reaching the piles of feed. The playground bullying leaves highly disgruntled baby jumbos who can only resort to antics of indignation. Some have learnt the virtue of patience early on, standing dolefully in blinking silence for a tidbit to come their way. There’s much to see around Pinnawala from one enclosure to the next, aside from one enclosure to the next, aside from the daily rituals of feeding and bathing. And the baby jumbos add much more character with their colorful temperaments.