Spread over a 100,000 hectares Yala National Park consists of leopards, elephants, Sloth bears, crocodiles, monitor lizards, deer, elk, wild boar, monkeys, and many other smaller creatures like porcupine, mongoose and more. There is a plethora of birds and reptiles too making this a most visited eco tourist destination.
Yala National Park is a protected wild life sanctuary located in the Southern Province’s Hambantota District. It is situated 24 kilometres North of Tissamaharama in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Yala Park is known as Yala Ruhuna/west Park and Yala East Park. The Ruhuna/West Park consists of 125 species of birds, some migratory and 32 species of mammals with a large density of Leopards, as high as 35, though they are sometimes difficult to spot due to their nocturnal lifestyle, while the Kumana/East Yala Park consists of many water birds that roost and breed here. Yala Park consists of 5 blocks, with block 1 being the most visited section located along the sea coast, with coastal lagoons, mangroves and thorny scrub jungle and secondary vegetation scattered inland. Some sections of the park are closed to the public, and reserved as a strict natural habitat, which could be the cause of leopards being seldom seen. However, Yala Park is a hotspot for catching a glimpse of leopards in their natural setting, sleeping on a tree bough or if lucky, a leopard might even cross your path, too intense to notice visitors as its concentration is on its prey!
The North-East monsoons provide rain from November to January and occasional showers in March, April and September. The dry season spreads from June till mid October with February being the driest month; sending temperatures soaring up to 370C. The ‘Menik’ Ganga/river and 4 rivulets as well as water holes and tanks which are replenished by rangers at the park with the aid of water bowsers, see to the survival of the animals through the drought season.
The tsunami of 2004, played havoc here at Yala, causing severe damages to land, houses and property where many lives were lost, those of visitors as well as natives. Strangely enough though, none of the animals perished because they fled to higher ground, and scrambled up tree tops within the sanctuary itself, guarded by their 6th sense or power of sensing unusual vibrations.
