Yala National park and Udawawale National Park are two leading national reserves towards the South East part of the country. They are mainly part of the dry zone and is popular for sighting elephants, leopards and sloth bears. The Yala Park is in particular close to the beach making it a favourite among travellers who like to experience tented camping.
The following animals were sighted while a family was on holiday to Yala and Udawalawa in the second week of August 2019. The drought had taken a toll on the national park however recent rains just two weeks before had brought on some greenery to the usually dry terrain bringing a few animals out.
While there might have been more than these in the wild, these are actual close numbers counted by a family who was on holiday with Infinit Luxury Travel. Thank you to a little 8 year old who kept track of the numbers to the best of her abilities.
White Bellied Sea Eagle 1
Water Buffalo - 100+
Elephants - Road-side and crossing the road 6+
Elephants - In the national parks - 30+
Mongoose [mugatiya] - 2
Wild Boar - 10+
Peacock and Peahens - 30+
Ceylon Jungle Fowl (National Bird of Sri Lanka) - 3
Wild Rabbits - 3
Piped Horn bill - 2
Monkeys - 20+
Bee catchers - 3
Kaha kurulla - 2
Spotted Deer - 30+
Crested Serpent Eagle - 2
Fox - 3
Myna birds - 40+
Crocodiles - 7+
Painted Stork - 2
Ogden Stork 5
Crested hawk Eagle - 1
While Yala is well known for spotting leopards, there was only a few sightings where the leopards were quick to disappear into the jungles. The best time to visit the park is definitely between the months of February to June, but for our family on holiday this was a fun experience.
Special permission can be sought for wildlife enthusiasts and wildlife photographers to go deeper into the jungles to catch sight of more wildlife including the leopards and sloth bears.
Get in touch with us to organise your special Sri Lanka holiday in the wild.