A project initiated in 1995 by The Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka, Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home (ETH) is now funded by the ‘Born Free’ foundation (a dynamic international wildlife charity founded in 1984), aligning with their core intention of preventing individual animal suffering, protecting threatened species and keeping wildlife in the wild.

At ETH, orphaned elephant calves are taken care of until they are independent enough to be released back to the wild. Situated along the western border of the 33-hectare Udawalawe National Park, adjacent to the Udawalawe Reservoir, the baby jumbos have the freedom to explore and roam.

Usually a visit to the ETH is combined with a responsible elephant safari at the Udawalawe National Park. However, the elephants at the ETH can be seen only during the feeding times, which are 9:00 hrs, 12:00 hrs, 15:00 hrs and 18:00 hrs. An ideal arrangement for viewing is to visit the ETH at the 15:00 hrs feeding time and then journey out on a two-hour safari to glimpse the giants roaming about in the wild at dusk. Just speak to your Diethelm Sri Lanka sales contact about your time preferences and we can provide you with the best safari experience.

If guests wish to be more involved and give a helping hand to this worthy cause, speak with your account manager to inquire about available volunteer positions. Typically a volunteer will engage in cleaning the elephant enclosures, helping with the preparation of milk/food and the feeding itself, assisting the veterinarian, and so on.

Important to note: This unique volunteering experience is exclusively available to students or research parties — and requires prior notification to the authorities. When we receive an inquiry, we will coordinate with the relevant authorities, providing them with the volunteer’s profile to secure special permission for participation.

For more information or reservation, please contact us here.