Elephant Sanctuary Volunteer Sri Lanka!

Volunteer Responsibilities & Impacts

Your primary responsibility as a volunteer with elephant in Sri Lanka will be to work closely with your mahout and elephant, assisting with feeding, bathing, and walking the animal.

However, volunteers might be expected to work in other projects such as eco-farm, teaching English, mobile veterinary unit ect.

Elephant Project—The daily maintenance and treatment of your assigned elephant, as well as assisting with the project's administrative tasks, fundraising, researching resources and general maintenance necessary to assist the project's many projects benefiting elephants and the lives of local people.

Eco-farm—when you join elephant volunteering program in Sri Lanka, you will work in the eco-farm every day to help gardeners grow fresh and healthy fruits, vegetables and medicinal herbs. These products are used as a part of the enrichment program and are used as treats for the elephants as well as food for the onsite restaurant. Many of the ingredients used in volunteer meals will be consist of produce grown by the volunteers themselves.

This is a great opportunity to learn about traditional farming methods and non-chemical fertilizers. Volunteers also have the opportunity to learn about fruits and vegetables native to Sri Lanka. In the future, the project hopes to provide poor farmers with elephant-dung fertilizer, which is a great way for farmers to non-chemically protect their crops and conserve the environment.

Mobile Veterinary Unit (MVU)—As volunteer in Sri lanka elephant project, you are also invited to help local veterinarians visit sick elephants and supervise religious parades. The MVU uses a vehicle to transport vets and medicine to elephants in need of care; the MVU may even travel hundreds of miles a day. The MVU efficiently treats elephants without having to set up multiple clinics through Sri Lanka and is capable of treating multiple animals at the same time.

Veterinary care can be very expensive and elephant ownership can create a financial burden. For this reason, the MVU care is free so that more elephant owners will seek out medical assistance for their elephants before it is too late. This is a great way for volunteers to meet elephant owners and travel the country.

English Teaching to Children—The project has organized local after school clubs to teach Sri Lankan children English. Strong English skills instantly open doors for Sri Lankan students, promising them a more prosperous future and greater job opportunities. Each after school club lesson is on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for one hour and our volunteers run the lessons. Teachers do not need prior experience, just creativity and a positive attitude. Ages vary widely in the lessons, anywhere from young toddlers to late twenties.

The project tries to make every lesson interactive and fun by incorporating interactive activities such as songs and games. In the future, they hope to open a learning center with computers, educational resources and a classroom-like environment.

All four projects related to elephant volunteering in Sri lanka will very rewarding. You will have at least two days off a week to explore all Sri Lanka has to offer. You will be able to learn from locals and surround yourself in Sri Lanka's beauty, both in its people and its nature.

Through this work you will be providing the elephants with much appreciated love and care, as well as raise awareness of the plight of elephants and a better way to experience them through ethical and sustainable interactions. This will directly contribute to ending the exploitation of these creatures and provide a happier life for the elephant you’re placed with.

Skills and Qualifications

The only required qualification for this project is a love and passion for animals and conservation work. You should also be a hardworking, kind and patient person willing to go outside your comfort zone. We also recommend enrolling in our one-week language and cultural immersion program to let you communicate with the local staff and mahouts more easily.

Accommodation and Meal

Global Crossroad’s Sri Lanka elephant volunteering program’s weekly fee includes management of your accommodation and supervision. You are accommodated either in a volunteer bungalow or in a volunteer jungle house throughout the project.

Our volunteers in this Sri Lanka elephant project will stay in safe, secure and comfortable bungalows built specifically to house international volunteers. The bungalow is enclosed by captivating palm trees and overlooking green meadows.

There are multiple bedrooms furnished with several single beds, bedding materials, fan and other necessary amenities. The bedrooms are shared with volunteers of the same gender and mosquito nets, clean linens and towels are provided.

As an Elephant conservation volunteer in Sri Lanka you also get to use clean and comfortable bathroom facilities with western style toilets with running tap water. There are also two refreshing outdoor showers.

Furthermore, there is a kitchen area with a sink, refrigerator, water filter, washing bowls as well as a lounge area with free Wi-Fi and books available.

Staying in the volunteer bungalow and sharing a room with other like-minded volunteers will be an experience of a lifetime as you get to exchange your unique experiences with other volunteers while making a difference for endangered elephants.

The environment is very relaxed and social and is a great place to unwind after a busy day. All the necessary amenities such as Internet cafes, grocery stores, restaurants, healthcare clinics are located nearby.

Facilities: Multiple shared rooms (same gender), comfortable beds, electricity, Wi-Fi, western toilets, regular supply of water, safe and sound living environment, outdoor showers, mosquito nets.

Jungle Cabins:

Another accommodation option for volunteering in Kegalle, Sri Lanka in an elephant project is staying in a jungle cabin. There are five cabins set aside to house international volunteers and house three volunteers per cabin. Each of the cabins has an attached bathroom with regular supply of water.

There is also easy access to the bungalow from the cabins. However, we suggest that you prepare for occasional power cuts and water shortages. As a volunteer, you are expected to be flexible and should adopt living a rustic life, leaving your comfort zone behind.

Our Cabin accommodation in this Sri Lanka elephant volunteer program is extremely affordable and perfect for solo and group travellers. You get to learn and share experiences with other volunteers and most importantly, you get to enjoy camp life and observe the wildlife all day long.

Facilities: Multiple shared rooms (same gender), comfortable beds, electricity, Wi-Fi, western toilets, regular supply of water, safe and sound living environment, outdoor showers, mosquito nets,

Find detailed information about your accommodation and meals in Sri Lanka.

Free Time and Weekend Exploration

You will have plenty of free time to enjoy your stay in Sri Lanka outside of your volunteering hours. During the week you will have the evenings free to relax or enjoy the surrounding scenery of the elephant village, and your weekends (Saturday and Sunday) are totally free for you to go on longer tours throughout Sri Lanka.

Read more about how to spend your free time and weekends while volunteering in Sri Lanka.

Safety and In Country Support

Global Crossroad takes your safety and comfort seriously, and our elephant project in Kegalle has been carefully vetted to ensure these qualities. We also regularly inspect the facilities and accommodation in the elephant village to ensure its ongoing satisfaction of our standards, and your local coordinator will be available at all times to assist you should you need help.

Read more about our safety and in-country support.