It was set up in 1975 by the Wildlife Department on a 25 acre coconut property near the MahaOya. The orphanage was originally founded to afford care and protection to the many orphaned elephants found in the jungle and the ulterior aim of the orphanage is undoubtedly to simulate the natural world.
The daily routine is beautifully grown to captivate both foreign and local eyes. The elephants are taken to the river twice daily for a bath. All baby elephants under three years are still bottle-fed by mahouts and volunteers. It is obvious that the orphanage is popular and visited daily by many of foreign guests.
The main attraction is clearly to observe the bathing-elephants from the tall river bank as it allows visitors to observe the herd interacting socially. bathing and playing and also at an extra cost, visitors are given the opportunity to go for a ride on elephants which will offer a great experience and fun.
The daily routine is beautifully grown to captivate both foreign and local eyes. The elephants are taken to the river twice daily for a bath. All baby elephants under three years are still bottle-fed by mahouts and volunteers. It is obvious that the orphanage is popular and visited daily by many of foreign guests.