The wildlife in Sri Lanka is vast and includes various plant and animal species. Sri Lanka has many protected areas that aid in conserving these species, many of which are scarce and endangered. The country has a tropical climate with a lot of yearly rainfall. Hence, the wildlife found here are mostly species used in tropical climates. The various national parks in Sri Lanka are the best places to witness these beautiful creatures in their wild habitats.
Best National Parks in Sri Lanka
1. Udawalawe National Park
When the Udawalawe Reservoir was built over the Walawe River, the wild animals there were shifted to the Udawalawe National Park. This national park lies between the provinces of Sabaragamuwa and Uva. The reserve covers about 120 square feet of land and provides a natural habitat for many wild animals. It consists of grasslands, scrublands, and forests and is the best place to see the majestic Asiatic Elephants in the wild. Apart from the elephants, it is also home to the rare Sri Lankan Sloth Bear.
The national park is also an excellent bird-watching site, with birds like the Sri Lanka Junglefowl, the Sri Lankan spurfowl, the White-bellied sea eagle, and so on.
2. Wasgamuwa National Park
The Wasgamuwa National Park is in the Matale District of Sri Lanka. In 1984, when the Mahaweli Development Project displaced wild animals, this national park was built as a refuge for them. This national park has a dry zone climate, meaning it receives less rainfall than the other wet parts of the country. It has both forests and scrublands. This national park is home to herds of Asian elephants, the purple-faced langur, the toque macaque, and rare sightings of the Sri Lankan Sloth Bear and leopards. It is also a popular bird-watching spot.
3. Yala National Park
The Yala National Park is the second-largest National Park in Sri Lanka and is situated in the country's Southeast region, bordering the Indian Ocean. It covers an area of 378 square miles. Since it is so huge, it is divided into five blocks and also includes neighboring parks - hence, it houses six national parks and three wildlife sanctuaries within itself. This national park has a variety of ecosystems, including monsoon forests and marine wetlands. However, it is in the country's dry, semi-arid region, so rain is rarely received.
The Yala National Park is famous for its high density of leopards thriving in the scrublands. However, apart from the leopards, the park is also famous for the Sri Lankan Sloth Bears, the Slender Loris, the Golden Palm Civet, and birds like the Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, the crimson-fronted Barbet, Eurasian Spoonbill, etc.
4. Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks
The Minneriya National Park and the Kaudulla National Park may be two different places, about half an hour away from each other, but both share herds of elephants who travel from one park to the other in search of food and water. The Minneriya National Park has the Minneriya Tank, and the Kaudulla National Park has the Yoda Ela River flowing through the park. Both national parks experience an event during the dry season called 'The Gathering,' wherein these herds of elephants travel between Minneriya and Kaudulla. Tourists can even witness wild elephants on the road during this time.
5. Wilpattu National Park
The Wilpattu National Park is the oldest and largest national park in Sri Lanka. This national park is famous for its naturally occurring lakes. A total of sixty lakes and tanks are spread across the national park. It covers an area of 1317 square kilometers and is situated in the dry zone on the country's northwest coast. Wilpattu is also known for its high density of leopards, just like the Yala National Park, and sightings of the Sri Lankan Sloth Bear. Apart from these, birds like the Painted Stork, the Large White Egret, and many different species of owls and other predatory birds can also be found here.
6. Horton Plains National Park
Located at an elevation of 2,300 meters, Horton Plains National Park in Sri Lanka’s central highlands encompasses montane grassland and cloudy forests. The park is popular for housing the famed ‘World’s End Cliff,’ a long, steep plunge of 880m where the plateau dramatically stops. The national park is home to various wildlife species, most notably purple-faced langurs, Sri Lankan leopards, Red Slender Loris, Toque monkeys, magpies, and sambar deer.
7. Gal Oya National Park
Gal Oya National Park is near the town of Ampara, at the Senanayake Samudra reservoir. Founded in 1954, the less visited but wonderfully unique national park shelters numerous fauna, including an impressive diversity of birdlife. Spanning an area of 25,900 hectares, the fauna at Gal Oya National Park comprises 32 species of mammals, such as Sri Lankan elephants, leopards, and deer, and reptiles like star tortoises and mugger crocodiles. The elephant sightings are undoubtedly the best feature of the park.
Wildlife to See in Sri Lanka
1. Mammals
There are about 123 species of mammals thriving in Sri Lanka, some of them being rare and endangered. Some of the mammals found here are Elephants, different species of monkeys, Slender Loris, Civets, Bats, etc.
2. Reptiles
There are about 180 species of reptiles in Sri Lanka, which includes snakes, crocodiles, turtles, etc.
3. Amphibians
Sri Lanka has an abundance of amphibians, with a whopping 122 different species thriving in the country. Some of them are toads, frogs, caecilians, etc.
Importance of Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka
True harmony is achieved when different living beings and species coexist without harming one another. In today's world, where concrete jungles have taken over green covers, and with the dangerously rising pollution levels, climate change is getting to us like a giant tsunami wave. We have already damaged many ecosystems and put a lot of species on the endangered list.
Killing and destroying the homes of these beautiful creatures for our profit will soon bite us back. If not for our numerous sanctuaries and other conservation projects, many well-known animals would have gone extinct by now.
Animals and human beings can thrive only by positively coexisting with one another. And therefore, conserving and protecting these species for a better future is extremely important.
