The Minneriya national park in Sri Lanka is a beautiful wildlife sanctuary. Home to a large number of fauna and flora, the park is world renowned for the large concentration of elephants that gather around the lake located within the park.
Nature lovers’ sanctuary
Located in the North Central province of the country between Habarana and Polonnaruwa, the Minneriya National Park is a hub for nature lovers. The main feature of the park is the ancient Minneriya tank built in the 3rd century by king Mahasena. Consisting of evergreen forest and shrubland it is home to sambar deer, leopards, and elephants. Visitors staying in Sri Lanka resorts close to the park such as the Heritance Kandalama, never fail to visit the park.
For the love of elephants
During June to September when the dry season hits, there is a spectacular sight in the park and it is referred to as ‘the gathering’. In the evening’s hundreds of elephants assemble around the reservoir to graze the green grass that grows around the tank’s bed and to quench their thirst after. During the peak season from August to September, more than two hundred elephants can be seen around the reservoir. According to wildlife authorities, the gathering in Minneriya is the largest grouping of wild elephants in Asia. Even though the congregation of elephants happened for many centuries, it was highlighted as a tourist attraction less than two decades ago.
It’s all about animals
Different species of mammals, birds, butterflies, fish and reptiles can be spotted at the park. The purple-faced Langur and the Toque Macaque are the two endemic monkeys of Sri Lanka can be spotted at the park along with other mammals such as the Sri Lankan sambar deer and the Sri Lankan sloth bear. Birders will be delighted by the variety of birds that roam the area.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+