Minneriya National Park
Elephants are the main attraction. Spotted deer and Sambar are the others to look for. If luck be on your side, a leopard or two too might cross your path. Out of 24 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, 75 species of butterflies and 160 species of birds roaming here, many will be within your range of visibility.
Wilpattu National Park:
Unique for the existence of “Willus” (Natural lakes). Elephants, sloth bear, spotted deer and leopards are the common large mammals. Abundant birdlife such as painted storks, white ibis, open bills, Whistling teals, spoonbills, cormorants and kingfishers, serpent eagles, great racket tail Drongo, Malabar pied hornbills, crested hawk eagles and Sri Lanka jungle fowls exists. The “Willus” are the preferred spots of mugger crocodiles and water monitors.
Wasgamuwa National Park: Elephants here are known to be less habituated to people, therefore more wildish. Other mammals seen are leopard, sloth bear, sambur, spotted and barking deer, wild boar and wild buffalo. Torque Macaque, Purple face leaf monkey and nocturnal slender Loris are also found in the park. lesser seen are Wooly necked stork, open bill, painted stork, Racket tailed Drongo, Yellow fronted barbet, Sri Lanka Jungle fowl and Spur fowl.
Knuckles Mountain range:
Ascenic wonderland with crystal clear waterways, cloud forests and exquisite fauna and flora. With millennia of rich cultural heritage, the Knuckles can be considered a mirror into the past. Remarkably, feature of most of the climatic conditions plus characteristics of key ecological zones found in Sri Lanka can be experienced within half and hours walk through these hills and valley.
