My first trip to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage... it was spectacular, especially when the four of us were so lucky to be only inches away from the males after a much well-earned scrub by their handlers.
Elephas maximus maximus (Sri Lankan Elephant) is found only on the island of Sri Lanka. It is the largest of the Asians. There are an estimated 3,000–4,500 members of this subspecies left today in the wild, although no accurate census has been carried out recently. Large males can weigh upward to 5,400 kg (12,000 lb) and stand over 3.4 m (11 ft) tall. Sri Lankan males have very large cranial bulges, and both sexes have more areas of depigmentation than other Asians. Typically, their ears, face, trunk, and belly have large concentrations of pink-speckled skin. There is an orphanage for elephants in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka, which plays a large role in protecting the Sri Lankan Elephant from extinction.
Definitely worth a visit to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage if you are in this part of the world. I know I will be back in a couple of weeks :)
A video of Lisa feeding the elephants below
See how delicate the steps taken by the elephants...
No comments:
Post a Comment