Millenium Elephant Foundation
Sum up
Visit the Millenium Elephant Foundation which works to improve the care, protection and treatment of captive elephants in Sri Lanka. Get up close and personal with some of Sri Lanka’s most majestic and iconic creatures and discover the complex issues which affect their conservation in Sri Lanka.
Duration: 3 hours
Best Time: Year-round
Additional Information
The Foundation, started in 1999, is a family-run non-government organization (NGO). It not only provides a place of sanctuary, but offers care, medical treatments, food, mahout salaries, as well as having an on call Mobile Veterinary Unit which travels around Sri Lanka to treat sick or injured elephants. Income from volunteers and tourism funds this work.
The island has a historical cultural connection with elephants which dates back many years, and the ownership of these magnificent creatures – and their use in religious ceremonies and processions – is common practice across Sri Lanka. Privately owned elephants hold a lot of value and status, some owners will simply keep an elephant chained in their gardens to show off their wealth. These elephants rarely receive the care they need as there are no elephant experts on site to ensure the physical and emotional needs of the elephants. Ownership may be transferred between generations with disastrous results. It is these issues that the Foundation seeks to address by offering to rent and house elephants.
Bareback elephant riding is offered to visitors, although never with a howdah – the traditional carriage most often seen in historic photographs. And in recognition of changing times, the MEF also promotes an elephant walk experience as an alternative to riding. Unlike the bareback riding, elephants can move at their leisure while visitors just troll alongside in awe.
As well as the walk, you can also listen to an educational talk, help bathe an elephant in the river, even have an optional elephant shower and tour an elephant dung factory.
The Millenium Elephant Foundation is located in Kegalle near Kandy. Join an elephant expert who volunteers here and learn all about the foundation and the elephants that they care for. You can walk with the elephants, bathe them and visit the on-site elephant dung factory. However, visitors should be aware that many of the elephants kept here are chained, on the request of their owners. The elephants do no manual labour, however, and are only guided by a trained mahout, a caretaker who uses a hook to tap certain pressure points on the animal’s body – this does not hurt them when done correctly.
Popular Activities
Intrepid Hike in Knuckles Sum up The main element of this extended activity is a half-day hike through thick jungle to an …
Kandy tea hills trek Sum up The tea estates around Deltota in the Kandyan foothills are some of the oldest in Sri …
Kandy City Walking Tour Sum up Kandy is the capital of and gateway to Sri Lanka’s majestic verdant hill country, a spiralling …
Kandy Temple and City Walk Sum up Walk back in time through the historic hill capital of Kandy and visit the temple …
Play a Sri Lankan drum Sum up Sri Lanka resonates to the sound of drumming, and with the help of Red Dot, …
Degaldoruwa Cave Temple Sum up When you first enter the temple, you are immediately stunned by the beautiful paintings on the walls …
Kandyan Cultural Show Sum up Watch a Kandyan cultural show and be awed by the spectacular dance, acrobatics, costumes and music. Held …
Temple of the Tooth Sum up Discover one of the great legends of Sri Lanka by visiting the Temple of the Tooth …
Temple of the Tooth with a local Sum up Explore the Temple of the Tooth, one of the busiest attractions in Sri …
Guided Tour of a Spice Farm Sum up Sri Lanka has long been known for its spices, coveted throughout history by people …
Kandy Restaurant Guide Sum up Kandy’s central location has led to its cuisine being influenced by the culinary traditions from all regions …
Victoria Golf and Country Resort Sum up There are golf courses that are scenic. There are many that are beautiful. But the …
Explore Sri Lanka’s Village Life Sum up Escape to Sri Lanka’s Kandyan foothills and spend a morning exploring the picturesque rural countryside …
Kandy to the Hill Country by train Sum up Take the train from Kandy into Sri Lanka’s dramatic hills and experience one …
Knuckles Mountain Range Sum up The Knuckles mountain range, so called because its appearance resembles the knuckles of a clenched fist is …
Millenium Elephant Foundation Sum up Visit the Millenium Elephant Foundation which works to improve the care, protection and treatment of captive elephants …
Royal Botanical Gardens Sum up The Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens, located just outside of Kandy, are Sri Lanka’s largest landscaped gardens, spanning …
Kandy Perahera Sum up The Kandy Perahera, a ritual that has been taking place for hundreds of years, is an experience of …
Sri Lanka Plantation Walk Sum up Explore the vast, tranquil estate of your host, a highly-engaging journalist who has many stories to …
Hike in the Knuckles Sum up The Knuckles Mountain Range, so named because of its resemblance to the knuckles of a clenched …