Giving back
‘Despite the danger, we had a duty to help’
Dr Vidhya Kumaranayakam, 36, London
Stroking an elephant calf, I couldn’t believe my luck.
‘They’re so beautiful,’ I cooed to my mum Bhavani.
It was Boxing Day 2004 and we were on a dream family holiday to our nativeSri Lanka.
The elephant sanctuary was our first stop.
Next, we were heading to Sigiriya, a historic rock formation high in the hills.
But as we got closer, we could see locals gathered in groups.
‘There are floods,’ someone explained. ‘Bad floods. People are dying.’
Sensing the rising panic, we
