In the cover of leafy vegetation in this mass piece of land hide the fascinating wildlife of Sri Lanka! The Yala National Park is a sanctuary that aims at preserving the wildlife of the island and is famous for the rare animals that lurk within the thicket of forest here. Here are some interesting facts.
Yala in the past
The importance of Yala had been identified as early as 1560 by a Spanish cartographer named Cipriano Sanchez who included it in his map. At the time the park was not given the name Yala National Park yet. As the years went by the forest areas in between Yala and Wilpattu were declared hunting grounds for sportsmen. It was in 1938 that the minister of agriculture, D. S Senanayake saw to it that the area became a wildlife reserve instead.
Location
Yala National Park is located towards the Southern province and reaches out to the Uva province as well. The closest city to the park would be Hambantota. The park can also be reached from accommodation properties in and around the area, for example, Sri Lanka luxury villa resorts such as Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort.
Interesting facts
Within the Yala National Park are six national parks and three wildlife sanctuaries. The largest park is named Lunugamvehera National Park. This massive stretch of the forest has a number of ecosystems that have survived through the years. Monsoon forests, freshwater and marine wetlands are a few of them.
Animals of Yala
Yala is home to hundreds of different species. On a safari, one will be able to spot various types of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and even invertebrates! The animals who take the spotlight though are the Sri Lankan elephants, leopards, sloth bears and the beautiful birds that chirp harmoniously as you pass by.
Catalina Forbes is a travel writer who bases her content on many thrilling escapades experienced across the world. Google+