The elephant transit home at Uda Walawe

A Jewel in the Crown of Sri Lankan Conservation
Born free…and wild…to a devoted mother who would sacrifice her life for you, and to others of your kind who would do their utmost to protect you. Free to roam over vast spaces wherever the group took you, learning, feeding, playing, and doing whatever a young elephant is born to do. Suddenly, without any warning, whether gunshot, explosion or electrocution or poison or accident, and it all disappears in brief, confusing, painful moments, and you are alone apart from being surrounded by a noisy throng of beings you had been taught to fear. Mother is now a lifeless or dying heap on the ground; protective siblings, aunts, and cousins have disappeared, either in terror or hopelessness; today has become a living nightmare. What? Why? Who? Where? What was once filled with the promise of future has suddenly come to an end. Welcome to the suffering of an elephant orphan.

A light in the darkness

The recent history of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has little to commend it. In mitigation, however, they are under the directive of politicians who have little or no technical expertise. There is little else to be said on this that has not already been highlighted in the media.

There is, however, one shining light in conservation that the DWC must have credit for; a trailblazing initiative of its history – one that is not only a tribute to the principles of conservation but also to the humanity of those who founded it. This gem is the Elephant Transit Home (ETH) on the boundary of the Uda Walawe National Park.

The tremendous merits of the ETH are rarely lauded in popular media. Even conservationists are not truly aware of the work that it does; many just assuming that it is another Pinnawela. In an effort to educate the public, the Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS), for its August Public Lecture, invited the current Veterinary Surgeon in charge of the ETH, Dr. Malaka Abeywardena, to make a presentation to wildlife enthusiasts on its work. A full house listened to him unfold the groundbreaking and sometimes, heartbreaking work of the unit, and warmly expressed its appreciation.

A brief history

Prior to the creation of the two elephant orphanages, first at Pinnawela and then at Uda Walawe, orphan calves were sent to private owners, tourism organizations or temples, to live out their days in captivity, broken, chained and still harboring the memories of their separation from mothers, herds and the wild. Then, in 1995, under the leadership of Dr. Nandana Atapattu, the ETH was set up at Uda Walawe – the first institute in the world for the rehabilitation and rewilding of orphan Asian elephants. The main difference between Pinnawela and the ETH in Uda Walawe is that the objective of the DWC is to release these orphan calves to the wild, while the elephants at Pinnawela are destined to a life in captivity.

Since its founding, a total of 442 orphans have entered its shelter and many found some peace, and hope. In 80% of the instances when baby elephants have become orphans, the main known causes are:

· Death of the mother

· Accidents (e.g. falls into manmade pits, wells, trenches during human chases/drives)

· Injuries – Gunshots, Jaw-bombs, traffic accidents, Snares.

· Weak calves/ Abandoned by mother

· Unknown (just found wandering mainly with herds of buffaloes)

· Illegally captured

Sixty seven percent of all the calves received by the ETH are less than one year old: almost half this number being less than three months old. Therefore, it is unsurprising that despite all of the efforts of the vets and staff, and they never give up on an animal, that 40% of the calves do not survive. Nevertheless, to date, 186 elephant calves have been successfully released back into the wild: the highest number of wild elephants to have been so liberated, anywhere in the world.

The dedication of the staff

None of this would be possible without the dedication of its staff, particularly its vets. Dr. Malaka, the latest Head Vet, succeeded Dr. Vijitha Perera who, perhaps, did most to raise the ETH to its present high standard. Dr. Malaka is a worthy successor to this tiring and, often, thankless job. Those who have had the privilege of some insight into the day-to-day operations of the ETH and its staff know that it is far more than cold professionalism at work, but something more, and not quite scientific. It is a devotion to these young beings whose anguish, we as a species, are mainly responsible for.

The aims of the ETH are as follows:

· Initial care and stabilizing health

· Nutrition/ Feeding management

· Encouraging natural behaviour

· Minimum human interactions

· Releasing and monitoring

The process of care continues even after the orphans are released, usually in mini herds of four to a dozen, though previously as many as 23 were released together. Hitherto, the release points have been the Uda Walawe, Maduru Oya, Kumana and Lunugamvehera National Parks. Some are collared to make it easier to track them after release, and a constant eye is kept on them to monitor their progress. In some cases, where they do not adapt well to release, one or two have to be brought back to the ETH for treatment and future release. A few, regrettably, pass away when faced with the realities of living in the wild. Recently, these instances have been at the hands of humans whom they approach with little fear, having being used to human care. Instead, they are shot by poachers and others who assume that they are being aggressive; even though some of the victims are barely adolescents.

The Cost of Care

There are currently 68 orphans at the ETH, and this number is being added to every month. It is estimated that it costs Rs. 200,000.00 per day just to feed the calves with the milk formula they require. Add to this the cost of the medicines and necessary medical equipment (hoists, x-ray machines, et al) to treat the sick and injured, the cost of collars for tracking the released elephants and other essential expenses, and the expenses are very high. It is a tribute to the DWC that it has always found enough funding for the essential needs of the ETH. Some of this is thanks to those who foster an orphan, and the monthly donations of Rs. 65,000.00 that they make for this privilege. However, if the ETH is to practice continuous improvement, to save the lives of even more orphans and release them back to the wild, then more funding is required not just for here, but also for the DWC’s Animal Hospital at Giritale which has a similar ethos.

It must be borne in mind that the vets and staff of the ETH not only treat orphaned and injured elephants, but have to cover a large area; virtually the whole southern region. So far this year, they have carried out 55 postmortems on dead elephants, in 2024 they treated 48 elephants in the field, and over 1,000 other wildlife, the more serious ones at the ETH itself. Human-Wildlife Conflict has escalated beyond all prediction.

The future of the ETH

Sadly, with the present escalation of the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC), and little rational political intent to truly resolve it, the work of the ETH will continue, and with greater intensity. Whether it will have the resources to cope with this additional number is a matter of question unless donors could be found to assist. For example, the ETH is in need of at least one other elephant hoist to lift injured animals for their treatment. At current rates, this costs approximately Rs. 12.5 Million. An x-ray machine capable of use on elephants is Rs. 25 Million.

A Generator is urgently required at the ETH and this would cost approximately Rs. 1.2 Million. These are just a sample of the expected costs for some of the equipment essential for the better functioning of the unit. Without them, the already stretched resources of the ETH may not be able to meet the added demands on it.

In 2024, some 141,238 local visitors, many of them schoolchildren, went to the ETH to observe the calves being fed. In addition, 98,156 foreign visitors did the same. The WNPS is currently in discussions with the ETH to develop better information systems so that these visitors may learn more about the functions of the ETH, HEC and of the behaviour they are observing.

The functions of the ETH are true wildlife conservation; striving to return orphaned elephants, and other injured wild creatures, back to the wild. True, some will inevitable perish, but they will pass on not confined to small places and controlled with hooks and chains. The orphans have been given a precious opportunity to return to the wilderness, to be what they were born to be – wild and free.

By Rohan Wijesinha
This article first appeared on island.lk on the 31st of August 2025.