{"id":8175,"date":"2016-03-30T12:59:14","date_gmt":"2016-03-30T11:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=8175"},"modified":"2021-08-01T12:06:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T11:06:12","slug":"pinnawala-elephant-orphanage-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/pinnawala-elephant-orphanage-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

ETG\u00a0stopped selling Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in 2012<\/a>\u00a0after\u00a0our own findings from company investigations and supporting reports from animal welfare experts at NGOs such as the Born Free Foundation. Here we hope to empower you in making an informed decision about visiting the ‘orphanage.’<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Photo via Youtube<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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An adorable photo of a friend cuddling a baby elephant, we’ve all seen it or some similar variant. What’s important to remember is that this simple image has a much more complicated backstory, one that might put you off getting a photo yourself.<\/p>\n

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Wounds from chains<\/div><\/a>\"\"
Elephant chained in water<\/div><\/a>\"Male
Male elephant in water strains as herd moves away<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n

\"Born-Free-1\"<\/p>\n

The above photos are from an investigation into Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage<\/a> by the\u00a0Born Free Foundation.<\/p>\n

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The issue of elephant tourism has come to the fore in the press recently following various tragedies involving travellers and elephants. In February a British father was trampled to death by an elephant in Thailand, India has recently been considering banning elephant rides in the country and Nikki Beach Resort in Thailand infamously let drunk tourists ride a baby elephant around the swimming pool last year. It is important to address the various issues involved with animal experiences whilst planning your holiday.<\/p>\n

I and many of my colleagues\u00a0talk to lots of travellers\u00a0wanting to go to Sri Lanka and have an incredible experience with elephants. With its international fame, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage often comes up in preliminary conversations and it beckons the question\u00a0why<\/strong> Experience Travel Group<\/strong>\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0sell it as an experience?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In short, it’s because we believe\u00a0you’ll have a much better experience spotting elephants on safari in one of Sri Lanka’s beautiful National Parks.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why we don’t sell Pinnawala<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is not the place to have an unforgettable experience with elephants for the following reasons.<\/p>\n

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  1. Animal welfare is not the main aim of the establishment. Conservation expert David Jay from the Born Free Foundation states ‘although the conditions of the elephants are in general better than some other establishments in the region, the welfare of the animals is a cause for concern…’ This is because there are cases of animals being chained in distressing circumstances, for example, often two or three legs are tied up which means the animal has very restricted movement. There is also photographic evidence for sores on their legs and ultimately we don’t want you to feel uncomfortable on holiday.<\/li>\n
  2. There is evidence of dangerous conduct which could put you at risk. Many visitors want pictures with elephant calves specifically, which means for a tip mahouts try to separate them from their mothers. This puts everyone in danger as\u00a0mothers could be provoked out of maternal instinct and react very badly to this separation.<\/li>\n
  3. Pinnawala is not an orphanage. It\u00a0is more accurately described as a breeding facility for elephants to fuel tourist demand. Any rescued animals will not be released into the wild to help repopulate endangered\u00a0Sri Lankan elephant groups and provide much needed genetic variation for populations. The entire premise of Pinnawala is misleading.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Alternative elephant experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The good news is that you can have an unforgettable moment with elephants in Sri Lanka and we can certainly help you arrange it. The majority of experiences involve visiting a national park and seeing the animals in the wild, an exception being the Elephant Transit Camp which is a rehabilitation centre for orphaned elephants supported by the Born Free Foundation.<\/p>\n

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    Here are our top four\u00a0alternative experiences:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    1. Visiting the Elephant Transit Camp in Uda Walawe National Park<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The elephant transit camp is in Uda Walawe National Park just north of Galle, in the south of Sri Lanka. Set up by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation with support\u00a0from the Born Free Foundation it aims to care for orphaned elephants and release the animals back into the wild.<\/p>\n

    (Read more…<\/a>)<\/p>\n

    Watch this short film by Simon Reeves for the BBC about the work of conservationists at the Elephant Transit Camp.<\/em><\/p>\n