Elephant Transit Home Udawalawe

Located on the western edge of the deep south region near Udawalawe National Park, the Elephant Transit Home (ETH) is recognized as one of the most ethical and successful wildlife rehabilitation centers in the world. Established in 1995 by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the primary mission of the ETH is to rescue orphaned, injured, or sick wild elephant calves from across the island, care for them until they are strong and self-sufficient, and release them back into the wild.

Unlike commercial elephant orphanages that allow visitors to touch, ride, or closely interact with the animals, the ETH enforces a strict policy of minimal human contact to ensure the calves do not become habituated to humans, which would prevent a successful return to the wild.

Visitors gather on a shaded wooden viewing platform four times a day to watch the calves being fed warm milk through long tubes by dedicated caretakers. The feeding session is a delightful spectacle. As the gates open, dozens of young elephants come running down the dirt path, their ears flapping with excitement as they jostle for position near the feeding stations. Once fed, the calves roam freely across the expansive lakeside grounds, splashing in the mud, playing with massive branches, and interacting naturally in herds. The center has successfully returned over a hundred rehabilitated elephants to the wild, making a visit here a deeply meaningful contribution to the survival of the Asian elephant.