A new elephant transit home is to be established in the Kalahagala area of Polonnaruwa to provide care for elephant calves separated from their mothers or injured in various incidents.
Polonnaruwa District Secretary Sujantha Ekanayake said approximately 15 hectares of land belonging to the Department of Forest Conservation had been allocated for the project.
The facility aims to protect elephant calves affected by human-elephant conflict, floods, train accidents and other incidents that leave them injured or separated from their mothers.
Kalahagala was selected following a survey conducted by an expert committee comprising veterinarians, Forest Conservation Department officials and public representatives.
Sri Lanka’s only existing elephant transit home is located in Udawalawe. According to the District Secretary, transporting wild elephant calves from the Northern and North Central provinces to Udawalawe takes between seven and nine hours, posing significant risks to injured animals.
The proposed facility in Polonnaruwa is expected to reduce transportation time and improve the chances of survival for elephant calves requiring urgent care.
The project is also expected to support tourism in the Polonnaruwa District and create employment opportunities for local residents through services such as preparing food for the animals.
