Brief reminder of Part 1 (without mistake ) :
The Pinnawala orphanage, built in 1975, cares for elephants which have lost their tribe. To date, the centre has taken in around a hundred elephants over 3 generations.
Elephant calf are naturally very playful and curious. So their meals are always an attraction. When the calves are released, they come running into small metal-framed arenas. The carers prepare the feeding botles, which are then administer to the calves, which gobble them up in a matter of seconds. Real gluttons! You can tell by the look on the animal ' s face that it ' s enjoying the drink as it drips down its lips. The next ones are swalowed just as quickly (up to 7 bottles of milk 5 times a day ). When they are full, they leeve the arena. The Pinnawala elephant orphanage is divided into two areas. On one side is the area where the elephants live (it cover around ten hectares ) and on the other is the Maha Oya river, which is the bathing area. The elephants go there twice a day, as they are particularly fond of bathing in water, mud and dust. When we visited, it was mounsoon time and heavy rain had fallen just as the elephants were bathing. All the animals, big and small, crossed the river to reach the opposite side. Unfortunately, the ground was soggy and slippery, as elephants had already used this passage, leaving an ice rink behind them. As a result, it was not uncommon to see elephants slip and fall, then start again - or even be helpt by other elephants to reach their goal. In spite of everything, bath time was still a moment enjoyed by the animals, who seemed very happy.
We salute the creation of this orphanage, set in a green environement close to a river. This enclosure protects and feeds elephants that cannot be released back into the wild because they have became dependent on humans. This structure enables them to return to a life of near normality. |
