Pinnawala's Elephant Shelter is located in Sri Lanka, in the village of Pinnavala, 13 km from Kegalle. The Elephant Orphanage was opened in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation to rescue orphaned elephants found in the jungle of the island. The nursery covers an area of 10 hectares, located on the territory of a coconut plantation on the banks of the Maha Oia River. In 1978, the shelter was transferred to the Department of National Zoos, and in 1982, a captive elephant breeding program was launched. The nursery has created conditions as close as possible to the natural habitat of animals. Now 84 elephants live here, they swim twice a day in the river, take care of their health, take care of wounded animals, and feed babies up to three years old with milk from a bottle. Volunteers provide assistance in caring for elephants. Animals in the shelter are trained and trained to carry out the teams of drovers, several elephants were transferred to zoos in the world, others participate in Buddhist ceremonies and entertain tourists. Pinnaval contains the largest number of elephants in the world that live and breed in captivity. In 1984, the first baby elephant was born in the shelter, and now the third generation of elephants with a local "residence" lives here. The Pinnawala Elephant Shelter quickly gained immense popularity among local residents and foreign tourists. Visitors love this place for the possibility of close and safe contact with animals - here you can take part in feeding elephants (both adults and babies), watch bathing elephants in the river or for the "important" procession of the herd along the streets of the village. The shelter has a schedule of "elephant" procedures, so visitors can easily plan the time for visiting the nursery. There are several restaurants and cafes on site, you can stay for the night in a guest house or hotel.