Snake Conservation Projects
Snakes, if we're talking about it, are widespread in many parts of the world. There are 96 snake species found in Sri Lanka out of the 246 species of snakes that have been identified worldwide. In fact, the vast majority of these species are found only in Sri Lanka. Perhaps you and I will be among those who fear snakes simply because we don't know for sure whether or not they are venomous.
This led to widespread indiscriminate killing, with no thought given to which side the snake actually belonged to. The majority of snakes in Sri Lanka, despite their terrifying appearance, are actually quite harmless. The country is home to a small number of snake species, some of which are venomous.
The most important thing to remember is that snakes and humans don't mix. If people get rattled, they kill the snake, and if the snake gets scared, it bites. Consequently, it is crucial that they be permitted to reside in their preferred areas of safety.
The goal of these conservation efforts is to help both people and snakes. Without causing any harm to the snake, we can safely report it to them, and they will come and safely capture it. After that, the snake is relocated to a less populated area where it can thrive, giving everyone involved a better chance at a happy and healthy existence.
When snakes are injured, conservation officers provide first aid. Once the animal is healthy again, it is transferred to a setting like the one described above. It is their responsibility to protect snakes from extinction, as many snake species are threatened in Sri Lanka. This is especially important because most of these snakes are endemic to the island nation. Are you interested in visiting the snake preservation centres..? Thelijjavila Snake Farm (not a farm at all but a conservation effort, only a concern in their name, so let's go!)
Let's go if you're interested in learning more about these harmless creatures and getting up close and personal with them during a safari. They've thought of everything, including carrying emergency medications in case of a snake bite.
If you're interested in seeing the animals and observing them up close and personal, or if you feel the need to learn more about them, then come on and let's go where all the necessary precautions have been taken.
They don't mean any harm at all. To be on the safe side in the event of a snake bite, they even carry immediate treatment medications.
Turtle Conservation Projects
To protect the marine turtles, programs for their preservation have been launched on Sri Lanka's southern coast. The primary goals of these places are to safeguard the sea turtles that come to the coastline to deposit their eggs.
It became extremely crucial to manage the nesting grounds and support the protection of the species because Sri Lanka's beaches are home to 5 of the 7 endangered turtle species. You can touch, tame, and pet the tiny newborn turtles for a short while while following the officers' directions if you'd like to attend these turtle conservation programs.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
An excellent breeding, feeding, and conservation facility for wild Asian elephants is the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. It is in Pinnawala Village, 13 kilometers northeast of Kegalle Town in Sri Lanka's Sabaragamuwa Province.
The world's largest herd of captive elephants is found in Pinnawala, where visitors can observe how the adorable animals are fed and bathed. Seeing the cute baby elephants' reactions is quite fascinating.
The time table of the elephant shows
- 08.30 am – Opens for the visitors.
- 09.00 am – 09.45 am Fruit feeding.
- 09.15 am – 09.45 am Milk feeding.
- 10.00 am – 12.00 pm Herd to the river.
- 12.00 pm – 01.45 pm Fruit feeding.
- 01.15 pm 01.45 pm Milk feeding.
- 02.00 pm – 04.00 pm Herd goes to the river.
- 05.00 pm – Milk feeding.
Ticket prices
Overseas Visitors
Adults LKR 2500.00
Children LKR 1250.00 (3-12 years)
SAARC Visitors
Adults LKR 700.00
Children LKR 350.00 (3-12 Years)
Udawala Elephant Orphanage
The Udawala elephant orphanage is also known as the elephant transit home since it is where ailing and orphaned elephants are treated before being sent to uninhabited jungle sections. They have the same exhibits as the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Elephants that are sick or orphaned are fed here and cared after until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild. You are welcome to visit the centre during the feeding hours of 10.30 am, 2.30 pm, and 6.30 pm.
See how the folks caring for the baby elephants handle and feed these sweet creatures. You could watch this forever and never get tired of it.