What is the Elephant Transit Home?

The Elephant Transit Home (often called ETH) is an ethical wildlife rehabilitation centre in Sri Lanka, located inside the Udawalawe National Park. Its primary focus is rescuing, nurturing, and releasing orphaned Asian elephant calves back into the wild.

Established in 1995 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation, ETH operates purely for conservation, not for entertainment. To prepare the calves for independent survival, the team minimises human contact as much as possible, ensuring the elephants retain their natural wild instincts.

Key details for visitors:

• Ethical viewing: Visitors are not allowed to touch or interact with the elephants. You can only observe them from a dedicated viewing deck.
• Feeding windows: The observation area is open during the daily milk feedings, which are usually scheduled at 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM, and 6 PM.

Return to the wild: After rehabilitation, and once the elephants are mature enough to manage the surroundings, they are successfully released back into the nearby national park.