The Udawalawe Elephant Transfer Home is a facility within Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka that was established in 1995 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation. Its primary objective is to rehabilitate orphaned elephant calves for ultimate release back into the wild.
The main objective of this facility is rehabilitation of orphaned baby elephants to ultimately release them back into their natural habitat. Up to three elephants per week are killed in Sri Lanka due to conflicts with humans, often leaving behind orphan calves. The elephants are kept at part of the Udawalawe National Park to maintain familiarity with their habitat, but have access to both food and medical care.
All care at the facility is by trained staff, and efforts are made to minimize contact between elephants and humans to keep the elephants from becoming acclimated to humans. Although visitors can watch the elephants being fed, they are not allowed to touch or otherwise interact with them.
Since caring for elephants is expensive, the Department of Wildlife Conservation created a foster-parent program to help pay for the required food and medicine. Individuals and groups that foster an elephant are entitled to certain privileges, including :
Naming the elephant.
Taking photographs of the elephant.
A free circuit bungalow in Udawalawe National Park for two days per year.
Publicity for the foster-parent
The foster-parent and elephant's name displayed at the Elephant Transfer House and the head office of the department.
Involvement in the release when the elephant is returned to the wild.
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While at the center, contact with humans is deliberately minimized so that the elephants will not acclimate to humans. Elephant calves are looked after until they are 5 years old, when they are released into the wild. The elephants are fitted with radio collars to help wildlife officials monitor their movements, behavior and progress. To erase any residual human smell and help ensure their acceptance among their wild cousins, the elephants are given a bath in diluted elephant dung before being released.
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