Location:

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Program Type:

Volunteer Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Work Types:

Animals

Duration:

1-3 months

Program Overview

Program Description:

Volunteer with elephants at an elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka. Help to give elephants a chance to live a life free from riding, suffering and abuse. This elephant volunteer project provides an alternative for elephants to live away from the trekking, logging and mass tourist industry, as well as engaging the local community and schools. You can join for 1 week and longer all year round and we have places all throughout 2015 available. Individuals, groups, families and students all welcome. Cost for food & accommodation during the project, airport pickup, backup and support starts at £590

As an elephant volunteer in Sri Lanka you will spend lots of time caring for the elephants. This ranges from feeding, shoveling manure, washing the elephants, cleaning their beds, walking with the elephants, engaging in elephant enrichment games, growing fruits and vegetables and maintaining the project facilities. This can be hard work, but it is tremendous fun and rewarding to be so close with the elephants. In the afternoons you will help the local community, school or in a local disabled home with English language, arts & crafts or general fun activities. You will also learn how to cook home-made Sri Lankan dishes. All activities are totally optional to participation.

This Sri Lanka elephant volunteer project was set up to provide a sanctuary for elephants, as a place with no riding, no 24/7 chaining, no abuse; only happy and healthy elephants playing together in the river and freedom to roam in their own enclosure. Here elephants are the number one priority and we give them the best life we can. Elephant volunteers in Sri Lanka are warmly welcomed by the family and team, and can spend time helping the elephants and working with the community.

Setting Description:

Sri Lanka is a country with a rich history dating back to at least 30000 BC. It has seen many kingdoms rise and fall, many religions introduced and many cultures come together. Sri Lanka looks like a tear drop falling from India. It is located just 30km (19 miles) off the southern tip of India and measures 225 km in width and 435 km in length. The country encompasses a wide variety of landscapes ranging from beautiful beaches to rainforests and mountains. The highest mountain called Pidurutalagala reaches 2500 meter (8200 foot).

Cost:

The cost to join for a 1 week project is 590 GBP, 2 weeks is 890 GBP, 3 weeks is 1040 GBP and 1 month is is 1190 GBP. Every extra week stay past 4 weeks costs £75. The maximum length you can stay in Sri Lanka on a tourist visa is 6 months. Your payment covers all your food (3 vegetarian meals per day), shared accommodation with a local family in a homestay, project-related transport during the project, pick up from the airport on arrival and transportation to the sanctuary, weekly Sri Lankan coo