THE ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE AT PINNAWELA Although January 9 was technically a free day, everyone chose to go to this popular tourist attraction, and the bus and driver were provided for us to make the long trip there and back. Nice. The Elephant Orphanage is much more than just a tourist attraction; it is also a living example of the Buddhist reverence for life to provide life-long care for orphaned and disabled elephants. And the care they receive is fantastic. Fresh food, browsing areas, mahouts to care for them, and twice a day a trip to the river for a nice water bath and a roll in the mud. It is the daily walk and river bath that is mostly appealing to tourists. The procession that we saw had about 70 elephants: bulls, cows, and many babies.
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