The Minneriya National Park is one of the most renowned nature reserves in the country, and is particularly popular for boasting large numbers of wild elephants.
The Tank
The famous Minneriya Tank refers to an ancient reservoir that was built during the time of the Anuradhapura Kingdom which existed from 377BC to 1017AD. The reservoir was supposedly built during the early days of the kingdom by King Mahasena.
The Park
The park consists of the lands which surround the tank, which are a mix of forest, scrubland and grassland. It is situated in the dry zone of the island, and therefore attracts a lot of animals due to the presence of water at the tank.
The Wildlife
There’s a total of 24 species of animals, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, 75 kinds of butterflies, and up to 160 different species of birds. The animals the park is most famous for are leopards, Sambar Deer and of course…elephants. The large numbers of elephants is why many resorts in Sri Lanka that are situated nearby, such as Aliya Resort & Spa offer tours to the park.
The Gathering
This refers to an annual phenomenon where there’s a massive exodus of elephants that travel from the Wasgamuwa National Park to the Minneriya Tank in search of water during the dry season. This happens from July to September, and the size of the herd ranges from 300 to 600.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+
