The Best Places to Spot Wildlife in Sri Lanka – Discover the Nation’s Exotic Creatures of the Wild

An appealing national park in Sri Lanka that receives comparatively fewer visitors would be the enchanting Kumana National Park. At this nature reserve, you would find swamp-like grasslands as well as sizable lakes that elephants are fond of wading through. At the borders of these watery areas, you would notice creatures like vibrantly coloured minivets and eye-catching hornbills. There are plenty more avifauna to see as well since this park is noted for its diverse array of endemic and migratory birds making it a dream destination for birdwatching enthusiasts; you have a chance to spot green bee-eaters, painted storks, egrets, pelicans, marsh sandpipers and more.

Undoubtedly, Yala would be counted amongst the island nation's most popular and best-known national parks. Its most renowned attraction would be its population of leopards, the country's apex predator and interestingly, Yala has the highest density of leopards on the planet! Whilst a sighting couldn't be guaranteed, you would have a fairly good chance of spotting one of these beautiful felines, especially if you happen to be on a safari organized by a knowledgeable operator. Whereas most tourists would only visit the park's more frequented areas, you could also visit the more far-flung localities if you so desire since there is plenty of other wildlife to be seen.

This national park would be noted for the extensive selection of wildlife that it features. At this magnificent park, you would find forests that are home to sloth bears, wild boar, and leopards, whilst there would also be plains where buffalo, spotted deer and sambar roam. However, the primary attraction here would be the park's population of around 150 elephants. You would also find that not many tourists visit Wasgamuwa, meaning that you could enjoy a very quiet safari experience here.

To spot Sri Lankan elephants, an outstanding nature reserve to head to would be Udawalawe National Park. You will find that this popular and vast park would largely feature scrubland, meaning that it should be fairly easy to spot these magnificent creatures in their natural environment. The optimal times for taking a safari to view elephants here would be at sunrise and sunset when you would have a good chance of observing these gentle giants. On a safari at the park, one may also see Sri Lankan axis deer, water buffalos, wild boars, toque macaques, golden palm civets, Sri Lankan junglefowl and grey-headed fish eagle.

An attractive forest reserve that you would find in the environs of the city of Kandy would be the appealing Udawatta Kele Sanctuary. This sanctuary would be a pleasant environment for the nature lover as you would encounter an interesting selection of flora and fauna here. Relatively small in size, this reserve is easy to explore, and you would have the opportunity to spot interesting kinds of birds, mammals, insects and reptiles. On your adventures here, you have a chance to encounter species like the mouse deer, Indian boar, toque macaque, Asian palm civet, Layard's parakeet, brown-capped babbler and more. One of the Pussellawa hotels to consider from which you could plan an excursion to this sanctuary would be The Lavender House.

If you have an interest in aquatic environments like wetlands and lagoons, make sure to visit the absorbing Bundala National Park. Amongst the highlights of this nature reserve would be its crocodiles and eye-catching flamingos which could be seen in their thousands. Other appealing birds that you could spot here would include the openbill storks and bee-eaters. Another noteworthy attraction at this national park would be its elephants which can be seen roaming freely. You would also be able to spot marine turtles here, including the green, olive ridley, leatherback, loggerhead, and hawksbill varieties.