World Wildlife Day 2026: From rescue to rewilding, Kalo’s journey continues

He arrived at the Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe on March 23, 2024, barely eight months old. Kalo had spent an unknown number of days trapped at the bottom of an abandoned well near Galenbidunuwewa in Sri Lanka’s Anuradhapura district, separated from the herd he had lost. When the wildlife officers from the Wildlife Conservation Department pulled him out, they found a frightened calf but also something else: resilience.

Today, nearly two years after his rescue, Kalo is no longer the fragile elephant calf who arrived at the Transit Home alone. He is growing steadily, eating well and has fully integrated into a group of calves preparing for eventual release. His progress is measured not only in size but in behaviour like social bonding, herd interaction and independent foraging skills that will determine his readiness for life beyond human protection. 

Since his arrival, Kalo has grown from 125 kilogrammes to over 300 kilogrammes. The wounds he sustained before rescue have fully healed and he is no longer on any specific medical treatment, instead routine management only. He is, by every measure, active, playful and thriving.

The Elephant Transit Home, also known as Ath Athuru Sevana, has operated within the Udawalawe National Park since 1995. It is not an orphanage in the traditional sense. There are no rides, no performances, no human dependency. Human contact is limited strictly to feeding and veterinary care. The rest of the time, the calves are left to bond with one another.

That philosophy is intentional. Elephants are deeply social animals and the calves that grow too attached to humans struggle to survive in the wild. The daily play, the hierarchy and the formation of peer bonds are all part of a structured rehabilitation process designed to prepare them for rewilding.

Since its establishment, more than 200 orphaned elephants have passed through the Elephant Transit Home. Over 100 have been successfully released back into the wild. In July 2025 alone, six young elephants were returned to the Udawalawe National Park during the facility’s 26th release. If all continues as planned, Kalo will follow that path in 2029.

On May 8, 2024, less than two months after Kalo’s rescue, Sun Siyam Pasikudah formalised its long-term commitment to his care through the CarePhant initiative under Sun Siyam Care. The resort pledged the ongoing monthly contributions to support Kalo’s nutrition, veterinary care and daily rehabilitation needs through to his planned release.

Sun Siyam Care is the group’s overarching sustainability programme that integrates environmental stewardship, biodiversity conservation, community engagement and long-term socioeconomic value creation across all Sun Siyam Resorts in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Through Sun Siyam Care, it invests in initiatives that protect marine and terrestrial ecosystems, reduce waste and single-use plastics, improve resource efficiency, support renewable energy and local sourcing and promote awareness and participation among guests and communities alike. Kalo’s journey from rescue to rewilding is one example of how Sun Siyam Care extends beyond hospitality, connecting responsible tourism with meaningful environmental and wildlife conservation impact.

“We are delighted to embark on the CarePhant project and become stewards of Kalo’s well-being. Sri Lanka’s elephants are not just a conservation issue; they are part of the living identity of this island and we feel a genuine responsibility to play our part in protecting them,” said Sun Siyam Pasikudah General Manager Arshed Refai.

For Sun Siyam Resorts Sustainability Project Manager Chaminda Upul Kumara, the commitment reflects the deeper purpose of Sun Siyam Care. 

“Conservation is not a single moment. It is a process that requires patience and consistency. With Kalo, we committed to being part of that journey from rescue to release. Every month of support is an investment in his return to the wild,” said Upul.

In the month that marks the World Wildlife Day, observed on March 3, Kalo’s story serves as a reminder that conservation is not abstract. It is individual. It is long term. It depends on partnerships between public institutions and responsible private sector actors. 

In a landscape where habitat loss and human-elephant conflict continue to threaten Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population, sustained commitments like CarePhant demonstrate how responsible tourism can contribute to tangible, measurable conservation outcomes.

Sun Siyam Pasikudah, which holds Travelife Gold Certification and operates under the broader Sun Siyam Care sustainability framework, integrates conservation, local sourcing and community engagement into its daily operations. The CarePhant project builds on that foundation by linking responsible hospitality directly to wildlife protection.

Three years from now, in 2029, Kalo is expected to walk beyond the protective boundaries of the Elephant Transit Home and into the Udawalawe National Park as a young wild elephant. Every veterinary check, every month of nutritional support and every bond formed within his herd brings him closer to that moment.

“When Kalo walks back into the forest in 2029, it will mark the completion of a journey that began in crisis but was sustained through commitment,” added Refai. 

“We are proud that Sun Siyam Care is part of that long-term promise.”

Until then, Kalo continues doing what young elephants at Ath Athuru Sevana are meant to do: growing, learning and preparing quietly for a life in the wild.