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Wildlife Safari In Sri Lanka
 You will come back to them, searching, again & again - and in time will grow within you an intimacy, a love for the jungle which offers sanctuary to fast dwindling and very precious wildlife.Sri Lanka is fortunate to be gifted by nature a wealth of animal life & luxuriant vegetation.
Today in this small island of 65,610 sq km, approximately 14% is dedicated to sanctuaries and nature reserves. Much of the fauna is of Indian origin, due to the fact that millions of years ago the 2 countries were bridged by a strip of land, remnants which are still visible. However, the period of separation has been sufficient for distinctive indigenous fauna to evolve and 19% are new species, totally endemic to Sri Lanka.Of the 86 species of mammals, pride of place goes to the majestic Elephant - the second largest terrestrial animal surviving today. While Sri Lanka does not have Lions & Tigers, 4 species of Cats including the Leopard are seen regularly in the wildlife parks. Other exotic species commonly seen are the Sloth Bear and many varieties of Deer, Monkeys including the endemic Macaque, Purple Faced Leaf Monkey and Shaggy Bear Monkey. More common species are Wild boar, Jackals, Mongoose, Porcupines, Giant Squirrels, many species of Rats and Shrews and the aggressive and dangerous Wild Buffalo.Most lakes and estuaries in the national parks attract many Crocodiles belonging to 2 species endemic to Sri Lanka. 5 species of turtles frequent the shores all over the island to lay eggs.Legend has it that the world's first wildlife sanctuary was created in Sri Lanka by a King in the 3rd century BC. It is recorded in the ancient Buddhist scriptures - "The King decreed that all human beings should follow the hallowed Buddhist precept of not harming any form of life".
Sinharaja (Vergin rain forest of Sri Lanka)
Sinharaja forest reserve is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forest in Sri lanka. This forest covers an extent of about 11187 hectares from east to west .The length of the forest is about 21km and width from North to South is about 3.7km.It was declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in 1978,as representative of tropical humid evergreen forest Eco system in Sri Lanka and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of it's International Network of Biosphere reserves. It was declared a National wilderness area in 1988 and lately a world heritage site in 1989.It is situated in the southwest lowland wet zone of the country in the districts of Ratnapura, Galle and Matara. The average annual temperature of Sinharaja is 23.6 C. Annual rainfall is more than 2500mm.The rain fall is well distributed during two monsoons, May to July and October to December.
Wilpattu
 A popular belief among lovers of nature is that any time of the day one can be sure of seeing a leopard at the Wilpattu National Park. This is not just a saying, it is a fact and the Wilpattu National Park in Sri Lanka is among the top national parks in the world.
The Wilpattu National Park and its surrounding are steeped in history and covered with legend. Popular legend says that in 543 BC King Vijaya landed at Kudrimalai and that he married Kuweni. According to some ancient ruins identified, it is said that Kuweni lived in the place now identified as the Kali Villu. Both Kudrimalai and Kali Villu are found in the Wilpattu. Furthermore history shows that Prince Saliya, son of King Dutugemunu, lived with Asokamala in Maradanmaduwa in Wilpattu over 2000 years ago. Pomparippu too is of historical value as urns containing the remains of those belonging to pre Vijayan times have been excavated from that site. Also between Palangaturai and Kollankanatte are the remains of an old harbour.
Looking at the fauna of this national park mammalian diversity and ecological densities are highest. A total of 31 species of mammals have been identified at the Wilpattu national park. Mammals threatened with extinction are also there. The elephant (Elephas maximus) , Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) and water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) are identified as the threatened species living within the Wilpattu National Park.
Uda Walawe
Uda Walawe is the best park in Sri Lanka to watch and photograph wild elephants. Located next to the vast Uda Walawe reservoir, only a short drive from the South Coast, the park covers an area of over 30,000 hectares and consists of a mixture of scrubland and teak forest. The lack of forest in some areas is due to the extensive slash-and-burn farming that was once practised in this area. Uda Walawe became the country's fifth National Park in 1972.As well as elephant and leopard Uda Walawe is home to many other animals including sambar, barking deer, water buffalo, jackals, sloth bears and three varieties of mongoose. Amongst the 30 or so reptile species water monitor lizards reach up to six feet in length. This is also a great park for birds, in particular raptors such as the Crested Serpent Eagle and the Grey Headed Fishing Eagle as well as arid-country specialists including the Malabar Pied Hornbill and Blue-faced Malkoha.
Yala
 Ruhuna National Park at Yala is Sri Lanka's most popular wild life safari destination. Situated about 300kM from Colombo the 1250 sq kM park is home to leopards, crocodile, elephant, deer, sambar, bear, wild bore, wild buffalo and peacock and may varieties of birds including migratory birds such as flamingos. The uniqueness of the park is it's many different habitat diversities such as dense jungles, lagoons and open park areas, a beautiful sea front and rocky outcrops. Months of January and May are peak month for best of the vegetation and the dry season is from June to October. Hiring of four wheel drive jeep a must for those who want to wonder in to its many trails to explore the national park.
There are many archaeological sites within the park and the ancient monastery of Sithulpahuwa situated at a beautiful rocky platform is among it's most visited sites.Salt pans at Palatupana is a popular location for bird watching. The leopards is the largest member of the wild cats found in Sri Lanka and Yala is probably the best location to view these beast in their natural habitat.
Horton Plains
This is the only National Park in Sri Lanka in which visitors are allowed to walk. At 'Worlds End' the 2000 metre plateau comes to an abrupt end, plunging 700-1000 metres to the valley floor. This gentle walk takes two to four hours depending on how much time is spent identifying the impressive bird life seen along this route. It is worth starting early to avoid the crowds, the mist that drifts up the valley can often obscure the views as the day wears on. 'Little Worlds End' is another popular location, falling a mere 300 metres, along with Baker's Falls.
Bundala
Bundala in the South East of Sri Lanka is a wonderful introduction to the country's National Parks. It is famous for its diversity and profusion of aquatic bird life which feed on the rich harvest provided by the numerous lagoons throughout the park. It forms the most important wetland sanctuary, outside of the Northern province, for migratory shore-birds including the Greater Flamingo. The park covers approximately 6000 hectares of brackish lagoons, salt pans, inter-tidal mudflats and thorny scrub jungle.
Of the 150 bird species listed in the park every species of water bird found in the country is said to visit here. The rare Black-necked stork and Great Thick-knee are particular birding highlights. It is easy to spot Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Spoonbill, Red Shank, Green Shank, Spot-billed Pelican, Blue-faced Malkoha, Brahminy Kite, Crested Hawk eagle and Brown Shrike, to name but a few. Migrants and vagrants make the journey from as far as Siberia, over 10,000 shore birds might be feeding at any one time between October and March.
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