Back to Sri Lanka

Helen Worth revisits the Elephant Transit Home to see how it's changed a year on

• Watch GMTV Today to see Helen Worth unveiling the new facilities which you've helped to build

• For more information ring the Born Free Foundation on 08707 27 27 23

Helen Worth, our Corrie wildlife correspondent, is back in Sri Lanka with the Born Free Foundation, to look at how the Elephant Tranist Home has changed a year on from our appeal.

Last year we sent Helen to Udawalawe National Park, which runs a special Elephant Transit Home where babies whose mothers have been shot can be cared for until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

However, it was seriously underfunded and was in desperate need of modernisation. But now, thanks to many donors, including GMTV viewers, the orphanage has been transformed.

A year on, and Udawalawe has a brand new intensive care unit, and a state of the art mobile transit unit to transport the elephants from the wild to the intensive care unit.

Ian Redmond, from the Born Free Foundation, tells us why it's such an important place:

"Although the Sri Lankan people are extremely fond of the Elephants, there is a tricky territorial conflict that causes big problems.

Every week roughly two elephants are shot dead by angry farmers and two people are trampled to death by angry elephants.

The problem is overpopulation. There are now 20 million people living in Sri Lanka, and as more land is taken by humans, the elephants are left with less jungle to graze in.

After a while they end up grazing in the food-rich fields of farmers' crops."

An eating machine

Just one of these hungry beasts can chomp through a year's supply of food in under a night, so the farmers try and scare it away to protect their livelihood.

But if a female elephant gets killed, there's usually a little calf that's left with no mummy and no place to go.

Sanctuary

This is where the Elephant Transit Home comes in. It takes in orphaned baby elephants and looks after them until they are big enough to go back into the wild.

It's the only elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka, and now, with your help, it's become more able to cope with all the baby elephants they rescue.

If you'd like to help continue this good work you can make a donation to the Elephant Transit Home in Sri Lanka by clicking on the Born Free logo opposite.