Sri Lanka is a nation with a wide variety of wildlife. The region is home to wildlife, including birds, deer, elephants, leopards and whales. The several national parks in Sri Lanka ensure that the country’s plants and animals are protected and kept in their natural environment.
Here are 5 national parks in Sri Lanka to explore wildlife
1. Yala National Park
The second-largest national park in Sri Lanka is Yala National Park. It is one of the most well-liked safari parks in the nation because of its great biodiversity and accessibility. It is located in the southeast of the nation and is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Yala National Park is home to over 44 different animal species, such as the rare and endangered Sri Lankan sloth bear and endangered Sri Lankan elephant, in addition to its active population of Sri Lankan leopards.
2. Udawalawe National Park
Located on the boundary of Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces lies Udawalawe National Park. One of the greatest national parks in Sri Lanka for seeing wild elephants is this one. Only 7,500 of these elephants are believed to remain in the wild.
3. Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains National Park is situated in Sri Lanka’s central highlands, at an elevation of around 2,100 meters. Large herds of free-roaming Sri Lankan sambar deer may be seen on the site, which has a different landscape that includes high-altitude meadows, cloud forests, waterfalls and old rock formations. The area is also rich in wildlife.
4. Wasgamuwa National Park
Wasgamuwa National Park is situated in Sri Lanka’s Matale and Polonnaruwa districts. It is one of the protected sites in Sri Lanka where you can spot big herds of elephants. Other animal and bird species found in this national wildlife park in Sri Lanka include the purple-faced langur, golden palm civet, mugger crocodile and red-faced malkoha, in addition to elephants.
5. Minneriya & Kaudulla National Parks
Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks are both situated in the North Central Province, about 30 minutes away. Seeing huge herds of elephants gather on the bed of Minneriya Lake in September and October is a sight to see. The water is later replaced by a lush green grassland.
