Five Types of Animals You Can See in Yala – Endemic Animal Species in Sri Lanka

Yala National Park is quite famous for its high density of leopards, which is considered to be the highest in the world. The Sri Lankan Leopard or the Panthera Pardus Kotiya is a key attraction of this national park, for both local and international wildlife enthusiasts. A subspecies of the leopard that is native to Sri Lanka, it is unfortunately classified as an endangered animal in the IUCN red list. Hunting, loss of habitat, and fragmentation are the main causes of the decline of this leopard population. The Sri Lankan Leopard can be easily identified by its rusty yellow coat that is peppered with dark spots. It is regarded as one of the largest subspecies of leopard across the globe.

Primarily associated with wetlands, the fishing cats can be usually spotted in marshes and swamps, reed beds, mangrove areas, and tidal creeks. It can be identified by its distinctive olive green-grey coat that has dark and dotted streaks running along the length of its body. The ears of the fishing cat can also be used for identifying purposes as the outer sides of them are black with white spots in the middle. As the name describes, its main meal consists of fish; however, one-fourth of its diet consists of birds, insects, molluscs, reptiles, and other small rodents. To hunt for fish, they employ an interesting tactic by gently tapping the water surface, mimicking insects, so that the fish get attracted to the water surface.

With a thick and shaggy fur coat that is black in colour, long snout, and round eyes, the Sri Lankan Sloth Bear partly resembles a domesticated dog in the country, especially in its facial area. It is known to grow up to a length of almost six feet. The Sri Lankan Sloth Bear has an excellent sense of smell that helps in locating food sources. Its paws are quite developed than the other species to aid in climbing trees and digging in them for termites. After digging through a nest mound, it employs special adaptations to suck out the insects through their teeth by blocking its nostrils and using the lips like a vacuum mouth. The Sri Lankan Sloth Bear does not hibernate due to the warmer climate and constant food sources that prevail throughout the year. Some 5-star hotels in Sri Lanka the likes of Chena Huts offer access to this national park, through which you can expect to spot this adorable creature of the wild.

The largest subspecies of the Asian Elephant is only found in Sri Lanka, which is called Elephas Maximus Maximus. This endemic species can be found roaming about the dry deciduous woodlands, scrubs, grasslands, and cropped lands of the country. Carrying a life span off 55 to 70 years, the Sri Lankan elephants travel together in herds that are lead by the female adults and their offspring. These magnificent animals of the jungle are quite intelligent that they use an array of vocalisations to communicate with each other. Their rumblings and growlings of varying frequencies are able to travel unbelievably long distances. These creatures are herbivorous and survive on a variety of vegetation, including leaves, shoots, roots, and climbers, among many other things.

A reddish-brown coated species of monkey that is endemic to Sri Lanka, the Toque Macaque monkeys, are easily identifiable by its distinctive swirl of hair at the top of their heads. Anyone can easily spot this monkey, which is locally known as "rilawa," during a safari in the Yala National Park. These monkeys are the smallest of the macaque species, but it has a tail that is rather long compared to its body size. The Toque Macaque Monkeys are quite playful and active beings, and they are known to live in troops of around forty members.