Opened in 2015 on a hillside above the village, the Pinnawala Open Zoo is the younger and quieter sibling of the elephant orphanage. The 44-acre site is laid out as a series of open paddocks linked by a winding loop road, with animals — sambar deer, mouflon, zebra, antelope, ostriches, water buffalo, and a few big cats in larger enclosures — visible from a small electric tram or from your own vehicle.
It is run by the same national zoological department as the elephant orphanage, and a combined ticket is sometimes available. The collection is modest and the landscaping still maturing, but the open layout makes it a noticeable improvement on Colombo's traditional cage-and-bars Dehiwala Zoo. A morning at the orphanage and an afternoon at the open zoo make a comfortable full day in Pinnawela.