Located in the village of Pinnawala, halfway between the city of Colombo and the ancient kingdom of Kandy, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (PEO) is an orphanage, nursery and breeding ground for nearly 100 elephants.
Before the invasion of the British in 1815, Sri Lanka was home to an estimated 30,000 elephants. The Sri Lankan government attempted to rectify the tragedy of this loss by beginning a sanctuary program for the elephants. What began with five baby elephants grew into a program that now cares for a herd of more than 90 elephants.
