Snapshot: Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home

August 07, 2024

Visit an ethical elephant rehabilitation facility and observe these baby pachyderms find their footing

 

Established by the Sri Lankan government in 1995, the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home (ETH, or Ath Athuru Sevana in Sinhalese) rehabilitates baby elephants with the end goal of releasing them into the wild. These calves are often orphaned because of human activity that fragments their communities, or because their parents are killed – either by poachers or by leftover land mines from the civil war.

Located in the Udawalawe National Park, the goal is to keep the young elephants as close as possible to their natural habitat so they don’t become too reliant on humans for care. Over time, the transit home has developed a reputation as a distinguished and thoughtful place for responsible wildlife rehabilitation.

 

A baby elephant walks at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home and Information Centre.
A baby elephant walks at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home and Information Centre.

 

Despite there being other national parks with these gentle giants, Udawalawe has become the epicentre of Sri Lankan elephant activity, possibly because of its large reservoir. Furthermore, the ETH places a firm focus on the welfare of the elephants, and as such, visitors are only allowed to observe, but not touch the elephants. The thrice-daily baby elephant feeding is always a popular (and sometimes) loud sight. Visitors can support the elephant rehabilitation programme through 'naming' an elephant and other supplementary activities or donations.

 

Tourists feed baby elephants in the Transit Home.
Tourists feed baby elephants in the Transit Home.

 

Sri Lankan elephants

Sri Lankan elephants are a subspecies of the Asian elephant, with only a few males that produce tusks. They once roamed many areas across Sri Lanka, but today, are concentrated around drier lowland areas, especially in protected areas like national parks. Large numbers were killed for sport by the British during the colonial era. Since elephants are herd animals, it is impossible for babies to survive on their own, as they need constant feeding and care. As orphans, they bond together in small groups, and wherever possible, are released together as a 'found family' unit—caretakers and researchers also fit the elephants with unobtrusive radio collars so they can monitor their movements in the time following their release. The best-case scenario is for these rehabilitated young elephants to rejoin a wild herd—in some cases, individual elephants might end up 'shadowing' a herd.

 

A group of adorable baby elephants at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home and Information Centre.
A group of adorable baby elephants at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home and Information Centre.

 

Caring for calves

Even after years of dealing with displaced and orphaned babies, the most successful long-term solution to feeding baby elephants is a special powdered milk formula for human babies. Like people, elephants can have digestive sensitivities or can be lactose intolerant, in which case, other options like soy milk, rice broth, or a special solution called jeevani are used. Jeevani is generally considered to be an ayurvedic tonic to help combat malnutrition. The ETH caretakers focus on allowing the elephants to develop relationships with each other, as opposed to with humans, so as to make their eventual release easier. Udawalawe’s majestic foster children are allowed to roam free with as little human interaction as possible. Before release, ETH even takes a further step to bathe the elephants in a mixture of dung, so as to remove any trace of humans and reduce the chance of herd rejection.

 

Orphaned elephants being fed with milk at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home and Information Centre.
Orphaned elephants being fed with milk at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home and Information Centre.

Back to Sri Lanka Tours
Related tours

15 Day Private Sri Lanka Adventure

Travel from: Jan 2025
Travel until: Dec 2025
From
$3,895
 NZD
pp twin share

14 Day Private Ultimate Sri Lanka

Travel from: Mar 2025
Travel until: Dec 2025
From
$3,995
 NZD
pp twin share

14 Day Exquisite Sri Lanka - A Platinum Small Group Tour

Travel from: Sep 2025
Travel until: Nov 2025
From
$11,445
 NZD
pp twin share

9 Day Best Of Sri Lanka Premium Small Group Tour

Travel from: Mar 2025
Travel until: Dec 2025
Typically
$5,225
From
$1,945
 NZD
pp twin share

18 Day Private Sri Lanka Adventure & The Maldives

Travel from: Mar 2025
Travel until: Dec 2025
From
$6,545
 NZD
pp twin share

12 Day Sri Lanka Uncovered

Travel from: Jan 2025
Travel until: Dec 2026
Typically
$5,942
From
$1,660
 NZD
pp twin share

14 Day Ultimate Sri Lanka Premium Small Group Tour

Travel from: Jan 2025
Travel until: Dec 2026
From
$3,495
 NZD
pp twin share

16 Day Ultimate Sri Lanka & The Maldives Premium Small Group Tour

Travel from: Jan 2025
Travel until: Dec 2026
Typically
$7,502
From
$6,895
 NZD
pp twin share
Paired Solo Option

18 Day Ultimate Sri Lanka & The Historical North Premium Small Group Tour

Travel from: Jan 2025
Travel until: Dec 2026
From
$4,645
 NZD
pp twin share

15 Day Sri Lanka Uncovered & The Maldives

Travel from: Jan 2025
Travel until: Dec 2026
From
$3,595
 NZD
pp twin share

17 Day Sri Lanka Uncovered & The Historical North Small Group Tour

Travel from: Jan 2025
Travel until: Dec 2026
From
$2,895
 NZD
pp twin share
Loading...
Processing