Tag: Jetwing Eco Holidays

Best Leopard Spotting At Yala National Park

Yala has become Sri Lanka’s most visited national park mainly due to the number of leopards that can be spotted during a jungle safari.

Image Credit - jetwingeco
Image Credit – jetwingeco

Important things to remember

As you will be stepping in to wild life territory, do keep in mind that you are the guests here and refrain from polluting or feeding any animals.

Why choose Yala

If you’re planning a leopard safari in Sri Lanka, then Yala National Park is definitely the place to go, as there it is one of the only parks on the island with a large number of leopards.

Safe and Responsible tourism

For those looking for a reputable service, tour agencies such as Jetwing Eco Holidays will be able to provide you with a safe and responsible safari tour, as some of the safari jeeps are known to create havoc inside the park, putting the animals’ lives at risk simply for a picture.

Other animals

While you may be keen to see leopards, these wild animals may not always be around when and where you want them to. Appreciate the chance of seeing other animals of the park like deer, sloth bears, elephants, crocodiles, birds and so much more!

Things to remember

You are not permitted to get off the vehicle at any point during the safari. The park will provide a tracker for every safari jeep. The park opens at 6am and closes at 6pm.

Catalina Forbes is a travel writer who bases her content on many thrilling escapades experienced across the world.

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YALA NATIONAL PARK

Yala National Park
Yala National Park, Img. Src:[Jetwing Eco Holidays]
The Yala National Park is the second largest National Park in Sri Lanka and lies in the south eastern part of the island and stretches from the Southern Province to the Eastern Province. Yala consists of five blocks including Ruhuna National Park (block 1) and the Kumana National Park (Yala East). Yala was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1900 and then a National Park in 1938. This is also a historic area and the ancient sites of Sithulpauwa (once home to 12,000 Arahaths) and the Magul Maha Viharaya (associated with Queen Vihara Maha Devi) is within the area. Two of the earliest mentions of Yala is made by a Spanish cartographer Cipriano Sanchez (1560). A big attraction of Yala is that it is leopard country and has one of the world’s highest densities for leopards. This and the other attractions of Yala make it a prime destination for Sri Lanka tour packages and if you are looking for adrenaline rush wildlife experiences with comfort and convenience then Jetwing Eco Holidays would be a good choice.

The variety of eco systems within Yala including moist, monsoon, semi-deciduous and thorn forests, grasslands, marine wetlands and sandy beaches. Forty four species of mammals roam this vast sanctuary including elephants, sloth bear, wild boar,monkeys, red slender loris, golden palm civet and deer. Yala is one of the 70 important bird areas in Sri Lanka with Kumana (Yala East) being a bird watchers’ paradise. Of the 215 bird species recorded at Yala 07 are endemic to Sri Lanka and include the Sri Lanka grey hornbill and Sri Lanka jungle fowl. Many migrants fly here including the white billed pelican. The grey heron and black headed ibis are among the common water birds while rare species include the black necked stork.

All five of the globally endangered turtles (leather back, Olive Ridley, logger head, hawks bill and green turtle) nest along the Yala coastline. The mugger crocodile is another inhabitant of Yala. Eighteen species of amphibians and 21 species of fresh water fishes also inhabit Yala.

 

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+