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Ruhuna Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
Wildlife: Leopards, Elephants, Mammals & Crocodiles. Birdlife. Ruins of ancient monastery
Location of the park
Ruhuna Yala is the Sri Lanka's most visited wildlife reserve. It is
easily accessible from the coastal highway
Colombo - Bentota -
Unawatuna -
Galle - Tissamaharama. The park
entrance is 70km (45 miles) east of Hambantota and 30 km (19 miles) east
of Tissa. There are two entrances to the reserve. The main gate is at
Palatupana, 20 km from Tissamaharama.
The other gate is on the Kataragama -
Situlpahuwa road.
Area of the park
Ruhuna covers almost 1260 sq km of scrub jungle, open savannah,
riverrine woodland & a long coastline which curves around Sri Lanka's
southeast coast. Four-fifths (4 of the 5 blocks) of this designated a
Strict Natural Reserve & closed to visitors. Block 1, southeast segment
of the park (known as Yala West), an area of some 130 sq km (50 sq km)
is open to tourists. This area is said to have the highest concentration
of animals. In addition, there is a buffer zone which may in future form
part of an expansion of the park.
Strict Natural Reserve of Yala East (Kumana)
On the far side of the Strict Natural Reserve is Yala East (Kumana)
National Park which is currently only accessible via the world class
surfing beach of Arugam Bay of pristine eastern beaches.
Terrain
Park varies from open parkland to dense jungle on the plains. The scrub
land is particularly distinctive with its enormous rocky outcrops, or
inselbergs. There are also several streams, small lakes & brackish
lagoons. The ocean to the east has wide beaches & high sand dunes. The
varied terrain supports an extraordinary range of wildlife & vegetation.
The park's dry-zone landscape is strikingly beautiful, especially when
viewed from the vantage points offered by the curious rock outcrops
which dot the park. From these you can look out over a seemingly endless
expanse of low scrub & trees dotted with lakes next to the dune - covered
coast line, particularly magical from
Situlpahuwa monastic settlement at Yala's northern end.
The basic facts
Although Yala is the best park in Sri Lanka for spotting
mammals, it is not in the same league as Africa's safari
park. There aren't large mammals at every turn; there aren't
leopards dangling from every tree.
Nevertheless, Park's wildlife has its own distinctive charm,
with its multitude of mammals, & birds.
The park is usually closed late August to mid October.
The best period to see the animals is during the January to
May dry season, when animals cluster around water sources in
multi-species groups.
Dawn & dusk are the best times of day to witness animals.
Season for Birds
October to December is the best time for bird-spotting,
as migrant species arrive to escape the northern winter in
the period of October to December
Season for Elephants
The best time to see elephants is during the January to
May dry season, when they congregate around the park's
lagoons. (However to see vast herds of elephants the best
park is Uda Walawe
National Park) |
Leopards
With 35 individual leopards seen in Block 1, Yala West has one of
the world's densest leopard populations. Panthera pardus kotiya, the
subspecies you may well see, is unique to Sri Lanka. The best time to
see leopard is February to July, when the water level of the park is
low. Vepandeniya is considered a favourite spot. However we need to be
accompanied by a resident naturalist.
Elephants
The resident elephants are best seen during the dry season from
around January to May, near water sources, though not on the scale of
Uda Walwe National Park.
Mammals
Sambar deer, spotted deer, muse deer, barking deer, wild boar, wild
buffaloes, pangolins, porcupines, stripe-necked & ruddy mongooses,
rabbits, (rare) wild cats, jackals macaque, langur monkeys, toque
monkeys and many more...
Sloth bears
Sloth bears are occasionally spotted, particularly in June, when they
feed on local fruit.
Crocodiles
There are also plentiful crocodiles marsh as well as estuarine.
Birdlife
The Palatupana saltpans on the Tissa Road, 6km before the park entrance,
are one of the best sites in the world for watching waders: the park is
worth visiting for its birdlife alone. There are about 130 species
overall. These birds include white-winged black terns, curlews,
pintails, barbets, hoopers, hoopers, Malabar pied hornbills, orioles,
Ceylon shamas, & paradise flycatchers, though pea & jungle fowl are the
most frequently seen.
A bird-watching focused day trip including the riverrine forest of the
River Menik may yield over 100 species, among them such rarities as
red-faced malkoha, great thick-knee, sirkeer malkoha, blue faced malkoha
& painted stork. Along with birds of prey is hawk eagle. Among the
colorful smaller species are green & blue bee eaters, hoopoes, parakeets
& bulbuls. You will not miss Peacocks.
Aquatic birds
The expanses of wetlands attract serpent - eagle, eastern grey heron,
painted stork. White-fowl arrive each winter to augment the resident
population. Among the common aquatic birds are various storks, egrets,
pelicans, sandpipers, herons, ibises, kingfishers & the magnificent
Indian darter. With a little bit of luck, you may also spot the rare
black-necked stork near Buttawa on the coast.
Trekking, Elephants in the evening, monastic settlement
Located right in the Ruhuna Yala National Park is the famous
archeological site named Sithulpahuwa. The second century monastery
proudly presents the renovated majestic dagobas. Rock carvings & more
than 60 inscriptions testify to the history of the site.
History
A monastic settlement, Situlpahuwa, had housed about 12,000
inhabitants including thousands of Buddhist monks during the period of
ancient kingdom of Ruhuna of Sri Lanka. Recently resorted, it's an
important centre of pilgrimage en route to nearby
Kataragama. Restored Magul Mahavihara
(temple) & Akasa Chetiya (shrine) date to the first & second centuries
BC testify to a part of the ancient Ruhuna kingdom. Magul Maha Vihara
was built on the spot where King Kavantissa & Vihara Maha Devi were
married. In Sinhalese magul means 'wedding'.
Five km from Tissamaharama, the
watering hole of the animals in transit to Ruhuna Yala National Park,
the main road branches off to well laid gravel road. A half an hour
drive through the woods that becomes thicker at each turn of the road
takes us to barrier point of the game warden. From the barrier another
half an hour's drive takes us to Sithyulapahuwa archeological site of
stupas, temple, wild elephants & herbal tea.
Monastery with a lake in between two stupas
The monastery comprises of two rock-top dagobas (stupas) with a small
lake in between.
Into the middle of wilderness: the first dagoba & the view of the park
The little path leads out of the shrine room with both sides of the path
having caves in which monks used to meditate in the ancient times. The
path takes us to a rocky outcrop from where we could see the whole
expanse of Ruhunu Yala National Park. The existent dagoba on the top of
the rocky outcrop is built over the foundations of an ancient dagoba.
The inscriptions scattered around the site have identified Situlpahuwa
as a monastery of great piety & scholarship.
Stilmore into the middle of wilderness: the second dagoba & the view of
the park - Kuda Sithulpahuwa (Little Sithulpahuwa)
Then again another kilometer through the woods takes us to a smaller
dagoba atop another rock outcrop, which is even higher than Sithulpahuwa.
We will be trekking up a near vertical rock face with the help of
rickety hand rail made of iron & tiny toe holds carved into the rock
face. Once again we have a panoramic view of the national park
Elephants
We have to return to temple where we park the car since elephants begin
to roam around. The elephant lovers stay the night at the temple to view
antics of elephants.
Accommodation
Brown's Beach Hotel
Has it all: sea views, visiting wildlife, & simple, comfortable rooms in
an idyllic setting on the edge of the park.
Yala village
A couple of kilometers from the park entrance, with sixty plush a/c
bungalows scattered around ten acres of jungle between sea and lagoon.
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