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Elephant Spotting in Sri Lanka (Formerly Ceylon)

Jun 8, 2010 Christine Hand

Working elephant, Gampola 2008 - Christine Hand

Spotting an elephant is a must for anyone travelling to Sri Lanka. Elephants can be encountered in almost any part of the island outside of the capital.

Elephants and Sri Lanka are almost synonymous, each word conjuring up images of the other. Despite their sadly dwindling numbers, they still play an important part in the religious ritual of the nation which ensures a level of protection to prevent their extinction. Elephants also play a part in the day to day life of the villagers as working animals and once outside the parameters of Colombo, the capital, an encounter with an elephant at work is not an uncommon sight. Wild animals still roam the many jungles of Sri Lanka and they can also be seen in the protected environments of zoos and wild life sanctuaries.

The Yala Wild Life Sanctuary

The Yala sanctuary is situated in the south-east corner of the island, approximately 190 miles from Colombo and can only be reached by road. The catchment area is large and there are several viewing stations. The sanctuary boast around 130 different species of birds, elephants, monkeys, mongeese, hornbills, jungle fowl, leopards, crocodiles, sambhur, spotted deer, wild buffalo and many other forms of animal life. Excellent facilities exist for camping and night spotting of animals at their watering hole. The sanctuary is closed for a few weeks during September and October.
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