Pinnawala Plans £45M Facility for 68 Musth Elephants

A viral TikTok video captured a tourist's comical experience with an elephant during a vacation package, where the elephant unexpectedly splashed water at her face after a trunk ride, highlighting the playful nature of these majestic animals and sparking humorous reactions online. Elephant encounters are popular tourist attractions worldwide, often promising unique interactions such as riding or feeding elephants, but can sometimes lead to surprising moments like this. In Sri Lanka, the Department of National Zoological Gardens announced the construction of a specialized facility at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage to house male elephants during their aggressive musth periods, aiming to reduce conflicts and improve animal management. The project, costing Rs. 45.3 million and involving two phases, is set to open its first phase soon and will be the largest of its kind in the country. Meanwhile, unrelated political commentary about Sri Lanka's former president and U.S. political issues under President Trump were also reported but are not relevant to the central topic of elephant encounters and management.