Yala (Ruhuna) National Park

 Yala (Ruhuna) National Park

 

Snapshot

Yala (Ruhuna) National Park, situated in the south east corner of the island, is home to the greatest variety of Sri Lanka’s wildlife. Its varying habitats, consisting of scrub plains, jungles, rocky outcrops, fresh water lakes, rivers and beaches, provides home to many species of animals including sloth bear, herds of elephants, buffalo, monkeys, sambar, deer, crocodiles and the endangered leopard sub-species, Panthera pardus kotiya, which found only in Sri Lanka.

Stats in Brief Stratification: Dry Monsoon Forest, Shrub jungle, Grass lands Size: 47,053ha Status: National Park & Strict Natural Reserve Altitude: 0m to 1,200m Temperature: Mean annual temperature 27 (degree c) Annual Rainfall: Mean annual rainfall varies between 900mm in the south to 1300mm in the North with the annual drought from May to September. Best time of year to visit: Year around park – November to January can be rainy period. The park is usually closed from September 01 to 15 October yearly but this is subject to change. Optimum duration of stay: 1 night up to 7/14 nights depending on interest Accommodation Options: Yala Village, Elephant Reach, Tissamaharama Resort, Priyankara Hotel, Mandara Rosen Kataragama, Galapita Eco Lodge Highlights: Yala Block 1 is known have the highest density of Leopards in the world Over 230 species of birds recorded. All species of big game known from Sri Lanka are found here.

Overview Yala (Ruhuna) National Park is situated in the Arid Zone of Sri Lanka’s South East region.  Comprising of five blocks, this National Park covers an area of 151,778 hectares. Currently only Block I, covering 14,100 hectares, is open to the public. Yala’s historical significance dates back to 500 B.C and evidence shows that the park was inhabited in the past.  The area remained a free hunting area for sport until the 1900s, when it was declared a Game Reserve. In 1938 a section of the park was declared a National Park. Being in the Arid Zone Yala receives an annual rainfall of less than 1,000 mm from the North East monsoon from about November to January. The rest of the year remains dry with the period from July to September showing severe drought conditions.  Mean temperature is around 27 c.  Yala National Park comprises of several major habitat types including dunes, scrub forest, riverine forests, rocky out-crops, secondary forests and coastal lagoons with mangrove forests.  This diverse collection of vegetation has resulted in many species of animals and birds being recorded in Yala National Park. The dry months from May to September is the best time for viewing big game including Leopards and Sloth Bear. From October to April during the Northern Hemisphere winters, Yala becomes home to many species of migratory birds and is a hot spot for bird watching. The first few months of the year are also good for observing Leopard cubs.