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| This 41 year old grand lady is named after the famous Indian goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped as the goddess of wealth by all Hindus. She leads the herd of 11 elephants living at the Millennium Elephant Foundation better known as (MEF) in Kegalle, Sri Lanka. This project is ideally situated as it is only 4 Km away from the famous government owned Pinnawela Elephant orphanage which all tourists visit during their stay in the island. |
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| The project is dedicated to the welfare of privately owned tame elephants, provide veterinary and welfare facilities for sick and elderly elephants. They take over and look after old elephants if any owner wants to retire them. |
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| But Lakshmi is owned by the mentor of MEF Mrs. Carmini Samarsinghe a genuine animal lover who comes from a elephant owners family background. Along with her late husband Sam she counts over 40 years of experience in elephant management. They are the only people to be successful in breeding elephants in captivity. Lakshmi has a 21 year old daughter Pooja living at MEF. Lakshmi never misses to fondle and pet her daughter Pooja at any chance given to her. |
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| Lakshmi is busy during the day. She takes people for rides and contributes to the fund that looks after the sick and elderly. She greets her admirers by nodding her head and raising her trunk when people buy her fruits and sweets. She loves people and makes friends with people who interact with her. Spending two to three hours in the river in the Gurugoda oya (stream) that flows through the MEF property in cooling off the body heat is well appreciated by her. |
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| Lakshmi is a fine artist. She paints every day. She has become famous for her paintings done on recycled hand made paper made next door by Maximus Pvt Ltd, with the use of elephant dung as a main ingredient. She likes poster colours and green and yellow are her favourite colours. Afetr she uses yellow she touches her lips with her brush leaving the yellow colour like lipstick. |
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