Sri Lanka’s Wildlife Parks

Sri Lanka is, arguably, the best wildlife destination outside Africa. From wild elephants, elusive leopards, blue whales – the largest mammal to inhabit our planet – sloth bears, turtles, dolphins and hundreds of colourful birds, the diversity of Sri Lanka’s wildlife is extraordinary.

Yala National Park, in the island’s southeast corner, has one of the highest densities of leopards worldwide. Uda Walawe National Park, to the west of Yala, is jungle scrub and extensive stretches of grassland and is the best place to see herds of wild Asian elephants. Bundala National Park is a beautiful wetland sanctuary providing shelter to nearly 150 species of birds and is home to migratory birds, including large flocks of flamingos during the winter months.

In the southeast of Sri Lanka, Gal Oya National Park offers the chance to see wild elephants swim from one island to another on the Senanayake Samudra Lake – Sri Lanka’s largest inland body of water. Between October and January, Tissamaharma Beach is the nesting ground of thousands of marine turtles. Nearby, Mirissa is an excellent whale-watching base (December to April).

Sinharaja Rainforest in the western foothills offers a superb opportunity to trek through the rainforest and spot 30 of the island’s 33 endemic bird species. For visitors wishing to combine wildlife viewing with a visit to the cultural triangle, Wilpattu National Park is a remote, unspoilt, picturesque reserve with a unique complex of lakes called Villus. The park is home to a healthy population of leopards and sloth bears. Minneriya National Park, set close to Polonnaruwa’s ancient ruins, is renowned for the elephant-gathering spectacle (between July and September), when visitors can see herds of between 50 and 300 wild elephants feeding and bathing – an incredible experience!