When you are researching where to see elephants in Sri Lanka, one of the first things that will pop up is elephant orphanages. It is often really difficult to tell online how reputable and conservation-focused these type of animal orphanages are. They are very good at giving the illusion that they have the elephant’s best interests at heart. I say that and I have a Bachelor of Science in primatology and used to work in a zoo. Yet I still find it difficult, especially in a previously war-torn country where elephants are known to have been injured. I would never knowingly support any organization that held captive elephants under the facade of rehabilitation or conservation, when really it was just about making a quick buck by getting tourists to pay for a photo of them feeding an elephant.
So to find out the truth about the elephant orphanages in Sri Lanka, I took to Twitter and asked “Are the elephant orphanages focused on conservation or are they for the tourists?” No one answered me publicly, but I received a DM from someone from an eco-lodge in Sri Lanka who told me to avoid them. While in Sri Lanka I received the same message from every local in the ecotourism industry that I spoke with. None of them wanted to be publicly named, which I soon realized is a cultural trait – Sri Lankans don’t want to be seen as saying something bad about someone else, but they all had the same message:
DON’T VISIT THE ELEPHANT ORPHANAGES. GO SEE THEM IN THE WILD.
You can still get quite close (but not too close) to elephants in the wild.
Fortunately, this is easier than it sounds. The Department of Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka estimates that there are 5879 elephants in Sri Lanka, the highest in all of Asia! Despite that, they are still an endangered species in large part to human-elephant conflicts, (be on the look out for a future post on How to Scare An Elephant Away from Your Crop – I not only provide entertainment, I also provide life saving tips ;). Fortunately they are relatively safe from poaching since only 7% of Asian elephants have tusks. In Sri Lanka, it’s even lower with just an estimated 2% of the elephants.
So Where Can You See An Elephant in the Wild in Sri Lanka? Here are 3 fantastic places:
Kaudulla National Park:
Is there anything cuter than baby elephants?
Located ~200km northeast from Colombo, Sri Lanka’s newest national park is home to over 200 elephants and is part of the elephant corridor between Minneriya and Wasgomuwa National Parks. I was fortunate enough to visit and saw the hugest herds of elephants I’ve ever seen! Easily 200, topping the large herds I had seen in Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa and Etosha in Namibia! It’s hard to describe the feeling of seeing so many of the largest land mammal (only the African elephant is larger) on earth at a proximity so close that you could hear the grass-roots ripping from the ground as they pulled it out and wrapped it in their flexible trunks Pure magic!!!!!
The population peaks between August and December, with the best time being in August and September. Kaudulla Reservioir, located in the park attracts the elephants during the dry season, into what is known as The Gathering as they make their pilgrimage to Minneriya, but you can see elephants the entire year. Kaudulla is most easily visited from Habarana, located just 22km away. I stayed at the Chaaya Village Habarana. Cinnamon Nature Trails kindly made my visit to Kaudulla possible. It’s also possible to arrange jeep safaris from Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya or Dambulla. Don’t believe me when I say magical? Check out Paul from Global Help Swap’s take on Kaudulla National Park. Hint: His first word in the blog post is mesmerized!
Wildlife tip: Some jeep drivers in Sri Lanka have a habit of getting too close to wildlife. Not only is this disturbing to wildlife, it is especially dangerous around elephants given their size and habituates them to charge vehicles. This happened to two jeeps on my trip (not my jeep) and it scared the bejeezus of everyone in the jeep. I also saw this happening in Yala National Park with leopards. Ask your driver to keep a respectable distance from the animal, and insist on it if they are getting too close. Your safety and the animal’s welfare are far more important than getting too close for a better photo!
Minneriya National Park
Minneriya is located just over 180km northeast from Colombo and most famous for an event referred to as The Gathering, in which hundreds of elephants make the trip during the dry season (July to early November) to an ancient reservoir. This migration has happened for centuries and sounds spectacular! Check out CNN’s report on The Gathering for further info.
Udawalawe National Park
In the opposite direction from Kaudulla and Minneriya is Udawalawe, ~180km southeast from Colombo. I was supposed to visit this park for a day, and had already booked a guest house, but changed my plans instead for an extra day at Yala National Park. I loved my time at Yala, so I can’t say that I regret my decision, but I’m sorry I missed my chance to visit Udawalawe. This park isn’t known for its beauty, but in my opinion the ~250 resident elephants more than compensate. The park is quite small, and much of the landscape is open, and the elephants are drawn to the Udawalawe Reservoir, meaning you are virtually guaranteed to see an elephant here. Diana from d travels ’round, sure saw a lot. Check out what she thought of Udawalawe.
Seriously, how cute is this little guy?
These are certainly not the only places you can see an elephant in Sri Lanka, but they are among your best chances of seeing the largest herds, with Udawalawe being almost guaranteed according to the Sri Lankan guides that I spoke with. Having said that, I also had a very nice 15 minute encounter with a juvenile male elephant in Yala, who didn’t let our jeep interfere with his breakfast! Truly an incredible way to start the day! If you have any other elephant spotting recommendations, please leave them in the comments below.
Want to know more about the Sri Lankan Elephant? Check out this BBC documentary, Sri Lanka, Elephant Island! Note: May not be available from all viewing locations.
But wherever you decide to see an elephant in Sri Lanka, I implore you to let it be in the wild, not at an elephant orphanage!
All of my photos from this post were taken in Kaudulla.
