Situated 309 km. south of Colombo, Yala is
approximately 1,259 sq.km. in extent and is
located in the south eastern corner of the island.
Its northern boundaries border on the Lahugala
Elephant Sanctuary and it has the added bonus of a
scenic ocean frontage. The terrain is varied flat
plains alternating with rocky outcrops. The
vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense
jungle. Water holes, small lakes, lagoons and
streams provide water for the animals and birds.
The specialty here is the large numbers of
elephants.
Horton Plains National Park
The
Horton Plains National Park is the only National
Park situated in the Hill Country and falls within
the Nuwara Eliya district and is 200 km. away from
Colombo. Panoramic scenic beauty of the Hill
Country could be witnessed within the Park. The
famous `Worlds End' is a major attraction within
the Park. Endemic slender loris and endemic purple
monkey are among the important animal species that
could be seen in addition to sambhur, a member of
the cat family etc. There are some endemic
avifauna also found within this Park.
Bird Sanctuaries
The sanctuaries at Kumana 312 km. from Colombo,
Wirawila 261 km. Bundala 259 km. and Kalametiya
224 km. are all lagoon locations in Sri Lanka's
extreme south eastern coast. The Giant's Tank in
the north western corner of the island is a huge
ancient irrigation reservoir of 3,800 hectares.
The coastal sanctuaries are exotically picturesque
with combinations of lagoon, swamp, river, jungle,
lake and plain. Large flocks can be found here of
both resident and migrant aquatic birds. The
highland sanctuaries at Udawattakele 118 km. from
Colombo and the Peak Wilderness 141 km. are
quieter but equally picturesque with wooded hills
and secluded streams and have the added bonus of
rare flora such as our unique Wesak Orchid as well
as numerous species of rare butterflies. The
Udawattakele Sanctuary is in the suburbs of Kandy,
our picturesque and fascinating hill capital. The
Peak Wilderness is situated on the slopes of
Adam's Peak (Sri Pada), Sri Lanka's sacred
mountain.
Elephant Orphanage
An orphanage for elephants has been set up by the
department of National Zoological Gardens, at
Pinnawela, 90 km. from Colombo. It was established
in 1975 and several animals brought here at the
inception are now mature enough for breeding,
which is the ultimate aim of the institution.
