Every day a herd of elephants visits the Maha Oya river to dip their trunks in the water or have their backs scrubbed clean by one of their carers at the Pinnawela elephant orphanage.

It's a popular spot to visit among tourists who flock there from Sri Lanka's beaches to see this daily ritual.

The elephant orphanage has existed since 1975 and has grown to become one of the most popular attractions on the whole island.

Sri Lanka is populated by 19 million people and 3,000 wild or captive elephants.

An estimated 30,000 elephants lived on the island before the arrival of the British in 1815.

In the 1960s, the elephant population was close to extinction. This prompted the Sri Lankan Government to found an orphanage for elephants who had lost their mothers or herds.

More than 70 elephants live in Pinnawela today which is about 80 kilometres northeast of the capital Colombo.

It is regarded as the biggest herd of captive elephants in the world.

Among the elephants is one that lost a foot when it stepped on a mine. Another is blind and is totally reliant on humans.

The steep decline in the elephant population was caused by deforestation, the war between Tamil guerrillas and the Sri Lankan army in the north as well as by poaching.

The relationship between the animals and local farmers is as strained as ever, explains Appuhamiga Premadasa, 35, who lives in a village in the central Sri Lanka where he grows corn and wheat beside his house. Premadasa explains that he must spend four months of the year in a tree house guarding his crops from encroachment by elephants.

The elephant herd in Pinnawela makes the journey to the river twice a day to bathe under the eyes of the tourists.

For a few rupees they are allowed to touch the animals. The sound of cameras clicking increases every time one of the young elephant babies splashes about in the water.

But anyone who wants to take a picture of the babies feeding in the orphanage has to pay extra for the privilege.

Since the orphanage opened its doors, more than 30 elephants have been born there. "A baby weighs about 65 kilograms at birth," says the orphanage's director, Pathmalal. A fully-grown animal can weigh three tons.

Some 110 people are employed to care for the herd feeding them with leaves from palm trees. About 14,000 kilograms of food are needed every day.

Source:China Daily