Il Nuovo Postiglione - Sri Lanka returns orphaned elephants to the jungle

Two females and four males, aged between five and seven, were released into the Mau Ara forest within the Udawalawe Wildlife Sanctuary, environment minister Dammika Patabendi told AFP.

He said it was the 26th such release of rehabilitated elephants since the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home began its programme in 1998.

"We hope, in the interest of conserving elephants, we will be able to improve facilities at this transit home in the near future," Patabendi said.

The calves were transported in trucks and then allowed to walk free because they were deemed strong enough to fend for themselves or join wild herds.

Baby elephants have minimal contact with humans at the transit home to ease their integration into wild herds.

All elephants at the facility were rescued after being found abandoned, injured or separated from their herds.

Udawalawe, about 210 kilometres (130 miles) southeast of Colombo, is renowned for its wild elephants and is a major tourist attraction.

Sri Lankan authorities believe the transit home's strategy of rewilding rescued elephants, rather than domesticating them, has paid off.

The centre's director, Malaka Abeywardana, said 57 elephants remain at the facility, which has released 187 back into the wild since the first release in early 1998.

Sri Lanka had previously sent rescued calves to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, which has also become a popular tourist site.

The Pinnawala orphanage marked its golden jubilee in February.

Conservation efforts have become increasingly urgent due to growing conflict between wild elephants and farmers.

The human-elephant conflict has resulted in the deaths of around 400 elephants and 200 people annually over the past five years.

A.Rastelli--INP