An Adult Asian elephant produces 150kg waste a day!

Some interesting facts about one of the all-time favorite animal, the elephant. The largest mammals roaming the earth also produce equally sizable elephant waste. An adult Asian elephant is capable of producing 180 kg of waste in a single day! A messy problem for the mahouts (elephant keepers and riders) indeed, requiring daily clean up. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka came up with an innovative eco-friendly solution of turning elephant waste into something more useful: paper!

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage now processes elephant waste into bacteria-free organic paper. Elephants have poor digestion systems making their dung rich in fiber. The paper is sold and proceeds are plowed back to the center for the benefit of the elephants’ well-being.

Bathing time. Elephants at the Pinawella Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka. Photo: wikipedia

The orphanage is very popular among local and foreign tourists. The main attraction is the opportunity to observe the bathing elephants from the broad river bank as the herd interacts socially, bathing and playing. Bathing is a highlight as elephants absolutely adore the water and are bathed twice a day.

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage and breeding center for wild elephants. Located in a village in Kegalle District around 90 km from the capital, Colombo. Established in 1975 by Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation on a 25-acre (10 ha) coconut plantation on the Maha Oya river. The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the many orphaned elephants found in the jungle. As of 2008, there were 84 elephants.