Yala West National Park
Yala West National Park, also called "Ruhuna",
is one of the island's best-known reserves, and one of
its largest, encompassing an area of 1570 sq km (97,881 hectares,
although only 14,101 hectares are open for tourism) in
the south eastern corner of Sri Lanka. This region,
known as the "Dry Zone", is dramatically different
from the lush paddies and palm trees of the south coast.
In the hour's drive from Tangalle to Hambantota, the
gateway to the "Dry Zone", you would be forgiven
for thinking you had stumbled onto an African plain.
Here, the forests are dry thorn scrub, interspersed
with small dusty glades - the ideal habitat to view
elephants, Sri Lanka's largest mammal.
The park does have a varied landscape, however, from parkland
to dense jungle on the plains, scrubland with rocky
outcrops and several streams, small lakes and lagoons.
The picturesque ocean frontage to the east has wide
beaches and high sand dunes.
A former hunting reserve, which was transformed into a
nature park in 1938, Yala West NP is currently home
to over 390 elephants, several of which are tuskers,
and about 120 leopards live in this wild expanse. Watching
elephant go for their bath at sunset or seeing leopard
laze about on the rocks at dusk are the most popular
natural spectacles at Yala West NP.
However, you may also see other species of mammals on your 4-hour,
4x4 tour of the park, such as elk, wild boar and buffalo,
musk deer, black bear, the unique small Loris, macaques and langurs,
jackals, mongooses, porcupines, civet cat, anteaters
and the enigmatic sloth bear.
Most of the best wildlife
areas in Yala West NP can be visited in a 4-hour jeep safari from
Tissamaharama (Tissa).
IMPORTANT. Yala West NP is closed between 01 September and
15 October inclusive for the annual 'recovery' period.
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