Sri Lanka's first elephant orphanage marks golden jubilee

A mahout sprays water over elephants during their daily bath in a river, at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala on Feb. 16, 2025 as Sri Lanka's main elephant orphanage marked its 50th anniversary. Tourists take pictures as elephants return to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage after taking their daily bath in a river in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 16, 2025. Elephants stroll across the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 16, 2025.

Sri Lanka's main elephant orphanage marked its 50th anniversary Sunday with a feast of fruit for the 68 jumbos at the showpiece center, reputedly the world's first care home for destitute pachyderms.