YALA NATIONAL PARK

This National Park comprises an area of 1300 square km (500 squre miles). It is one of the island’s best known and biggest wildlife reserves. It is divided into Yala West ( Ruhunu National Park ) and Yala East.

Ruhunu National Park has a diversity of jungle habitats ranging from scrub jungle, tanks, brackish lagoons and riverside habitats. It is considered the best park for viewing animals and birds.

Animals seen in the Park are the elephant, leopard, sloth bear, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, sambhur, grey langur, toque monkey, stripe-necked mongoose, ruddy mongoose, wild pig, jackal, water monitor, marsh crocodile and estuarine crocodile.

A variety of 130 species of birds have been recorded. Bird life includes Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Sirkeer Malkoha, Stone Curlew, Greater Thick-knee, Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Painted Stork, Blue-faced Malkoha, Green Bee-eater, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Brahminya Myna and Rose-coloured Starling.

Yala East contains the Kumana Mangrove Swamp with a large variety of water birds