Located just over forty kilometres away from Sigiriya, the park itself is rich with wildlife as well as history. Contained within the park is the Minneriya Tank, an ancient reservoir which was built by King Mahaesena sometime during the third century in order to provide irrigation for the surrounding land. Following the downfall of the civilisation, the forest eventually took over the land. During the dry season, from July to September, masses of elephants assemble at the reservoir in a phenomenon known as The Gathering. In addition to elephants, the park contains a wide range of animals including 24 species of mammals, 74 species of butterflies and 160 species of birds.