About Yala National Park
Yala National Park is the most famous and second largest and oldest national park in Sri Lanka. It is located in the southeast dry zone of the country and spread over a large area of 979 square kilometers. Yala belongs to two provinces of Sri Lanka called Uva and South. The park is divided into five sections and only 1 and 2 sections are open to visitors.
Yala was named as a national park on 25th February 1938. Yala forest has been used as a hunting ground by the British since around 1900. At that time it was designated as a hunting reserve. By 1908, it was declared a sanctuary.
It is mainly a dry mixed evergreen forest. Also, thickets associated with thorny bushes are also common. Although most of the reserve is grassland, this park is also rich in diverse ecosystems such as forested coastal areas, springs, rivers and scrubland. And the park provides habitat for a large number of animal species.
Yala Park has been a popular wildlife spot for centuries. Also, this park is very well known in even abroad. Yala reserve has the largest leopard population in the world (40 species of Leopards). There is hardly any park in Sri lanka that is so popular for Leopards and Bears.
Almost every mammal, big or small, lives in here. Yala has no shortage of animals like Deer, Ox, Boar, Fox, Wild Rabbit and Asian Palm Civet. Among the large animals that live here are Asian elephants, Bears, crocodiles, wild boars, buffaloes and gray monkey.
Among the birds, about 130 residents and 30 migrants can be seen. In addition, Ceylon rooster and Indian peacocks are common in this park. Yala is a good habitat for many water birds as well as forest birds.
It is also a home to many reptiles, including crocodiles, pythons, snakes. About 1000 crocodiles live here. Yala is also rich in sensitive animals like fish, amphibians, insects and molluscs. Apart from, Yala National Park is also home to carnivores such as sea eagle, lake eagle, snake eagle, hawk and Harpy eagle.
However, large nocturnal carnivores have to work hard to find their prey, and finding prey often depends on luck.
