Rescued from a well in Sri Lanka, Kalo the elephant calf has grown into a thriving young elephant at Udawalawe’s Elephant Transit Home. Sun Siyam Pasikudah formalised its long-term commitment to his care through the CarePhant initiative — supporting his rehabilitation and eventual release into the wild in 2029.
Kalo’s story began in distress. Found stuck in an abandoned village well outside Udawalawe National Park, separated from his herd, his survival depended on a coordinated rescue effort by Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Elephant Transit Home (ETH). What began as an emergency operation has, in the years since, become one of the most quietly powerful conservation stories Sun Siyam Cares has had the privilege of supporting.
Through the CarePhant initiative, Sun Siyam Pasikudah commits funding to Kalo’s full rehabilitation cycle — feed, veterinary care, behavioural enrichment, and eventually the soft-release programme that returns rescued calves to the wild around age six. This isn’t sponsorship in name only. The Pasikudah team visits Udawalawe twice a year, contributes to the ETH’s research record on each calf, and shares Kalo’s milestones with guests who choose to follow his journey.
Why an elephant, and why Sri Lanka? Because the spirit of conservation doesn’t stop at our reefs. The Maldives and Sri Lanka share an ocean, and they share an obligation. By extending care beyond our atolls, we acknowledge that the systems supporting island life — biodiversity, climate, community — are continental, not local.
Kalo’s projected release date is 2029. Between now and then, every coral planted at our resorts, every solar panel installed, every guest who joins a beach cleanup is part of the wider story he’ll grow up into. We’ll be sharing his progress here as he goes.