Carol Buckley,  founder of Elephant Aid International and co-founder of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, visited Sri Lanka on invitation by the Otara Foundation and the Sri Lanka finance ministry to assist in making the captive elephants of Sri Lanka live chain free.  She visited the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and the Dehiwela Zoo together with Otara Gunewardene to learn more about the facilities and the resident elephants. The proposal submitted subsequent to the visit includes many changes to improve the well-being of the elephants, some of which includes mahout training, a chain free environment,  proper vegetation and shade and a life without fear domination by the use of bull hooks.