Wildlife in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has two capitals: Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, which is the administrative capital, and Colombo, which is the commercial capital of the country, and these two capitals represent the two largest metropolitan areas in the country. The topography of Sri Lanka varies from one place to another on the island, which greatly affects the climate, which faces winds, monsoons, humidity, and high temperatures, especially in the monsoon season.

In the regions of the central highlands, the geographical features vary between plateaus, mountain ranges, valleys, basins, and slopes, while in the middle of the southern part of the island are mountains concentrated, which reach a height of more than 2.5 km, while the rest of Sri Lanka is dominated by the flat plain areas wit some small hills. Such incredible characteristics and topography made Sri Lanka home to Wildlife.  

Sri Lanka defies the famous belief that the Islands do not have many animals, and became one of the five top spots for wildlife and biodiversity as it has 235 of the flora and 16% of the fauna in the world making it one of the highest rates of biological endemism. Sri Lanka hosts 86 species of mammals, 54 fish, and 40 frogs, in addition to a wide group of reptile species, including two types of crocodiles and five varieties of poisonous snakes. The country's great wildlife attractions are elephant, leopard, sloth bear, sperm whale, and blue whale.  

Elephants are sacred and important in Sri Lanka, they are one of the three kinds of Asian elephants, and the country has the largest concentration of elephants in the world. You are allowed to get up close to them but you are not allowed to ride an elephant with a wooden seat because this hurts them. The second most famous animal there is the leopard; if you are lucky enough, you will encounter them as they are solitary and elusive creatures. But lucky for you, females and their young leopards can be seen as they tend to wander until they are old enough to hunt. Leopards in Sri Lanka are larger and the highest in the food chain since there are no lions or tigers to threaten its position.  

One of the must-sees animals in Sri Lanka is the Blue Whale, which is known as the largest animal on the planet and the king of the ocean. Nothing is comparable to seeing this magnificent beast and the best time to do so is from November to April and between the months of June and October. There are a lot of other animals in Sri Lanka such as the cute Red Slender Loris, with the big eyes and the tiny hands; the sambar, which is a kind of deer can be found in different countries of Asia; and the turtle - Sri Lanka hosts 5 types of turtles, namely: Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback and Hawksbill.

Undoubtedly, Sri Lanka is the perfect destination for bird-watchers as they will be delighted by the dozens of endemic birds there. You can find unique species of owls, hornbills especially the Grey Hornbill, pigeons, magpies, parrots, and pigeons. You can also see the Sri Lankan Junglefowl, the national bird of Sri Lanka that can not be found anywhere else in the world. The best time to view birds is from November to April.  

Tropical rainforests cover most of the southwestern parts of Sri Lanka and are mainly composed of ebony and teak trees. Sri Lanka has about 3,000 species of popcorn (or ferns) and other flowering plants, especially in the wet zone, in addition to Bougainville, Arcade, Poinsettia, and fruit trees. The predominant botanical pattern in the central mountain region is plateau plants such as the rhododendron rose. The diversity is higher in the wet zone than in the dry zone, and there are 8 types of natural forests in Sri Lanka.

The best places to see the wildlife area at the National parks such as Yala National Park, which hosts 215 bird species and 44 mammal species, so it is expected to see roaming elephants, crocodiles, sambar deer, and buffalo. What is so unique about this park is that it has the highest concentricity of Leopards in the world. And Udawalawe National Park, which includes water buffalo, wild boar, deer, the endemic toque macaque, and sloth boar. In addition, is Minneriya National Park, with a wide variety of deer, wild buffaloes, and elephants, Mineria National Park is a lush Sri Lankan park that is sure to give Africa's reserves of the savannah. It is also one of the best places in the world to discover Asian elephants, as well as being a quiet haven for more than one hundred and fifty elephants, Ensuring that you see these creatures while you visit this Sri Lankan park.

The only national park where you can take a boat safari is at Gal Oya National Park, and you may be lucky enough to see elephants on the banks of the river or watch crocodiles while enjoying the beautiful scenery, and perhaps staying in cabins in the park Gal Oya Lodge will allow guests a wonderful experience. Moreover, The Bundala National Reserve, designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Nature Reserve, is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in Asia. As a bird sanctuary, it hosts more than 190 species of birds, including flamingos, ibis, and pelicans. Visitors also can spot turtles, elephants, and a variety of other animals.  

- The best place to see the Blue Whale and the Sperm whale  

- The best place outside Africa for Big Game Safaris  

- It has the Sinharaja Bird Wave, which is the largest and offers the longest views of bird waves  

- The best place in the world to see leopards, especially at Yala National Park  

- The perfect destination for Elephant Gatherings