A safari to Yala




YALA is Sri Lanka's most emblematic national park, set in the ancient Ruhunu kingdom in the Southern Province. Remnants of past civilizations, covered with the jungle tide, form the stamping grounds fwild animals ofa great variety. Established as a national park in 1938,
Yala comprises five blocks sprawling
over 979 square kilometres.
The attraction of the park lies in
the arid, wild, open land which is
punctuated by grasslands, shrubs,
tanks, lagoons, water holes and sand
dunes. Water gathers in the forms
of streams, tanks, waterholes, rock
pools, and lagoons. Each terrain,
different in character, provides
glimpses into wildlife in their most
intimate, beautiful and dramatic
moments.
The most charismatic and sought
after animals in Yala are the leopard,
the clephant and the sloth bear.
But there are 41 other mammal
species, among them the jackal, the
sambhur, the spotted deer, the loris,
the crocodile, wild cats, wild boar
and buffalo. Of birds there are 215
varieties, seven of them cndemic
Crunch, crunch, crunch on
to Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka grey hornbill,
Sri Lankajungle fowl, Sri Lanka
wood pigeon, crimson-fronted
barbet, black-capped bulbul, blue-
tailed bee-cater and brown-capped
babbler. During the migrating
season, birds flock in plenty andjostle
for space in waterways, a display of
rare, beautiful and unusual plumage.
Raptors like the crested serpent eagle
can be seen wheeling in high skies,
perpetually looking for prey.
There is also a teeming reptile
population, the most charismatic
species bcing the crocodile and sea
turtle.
On alert
Associated with Yala is also a
wealth of traditional lore, among
these the story that mvthical monarch
Ravana's kingdom used to be by the
shore here. A large number of ancient
unused tanks lie in the heart of the
wilderness, Sithulpawwa, an ancient
monastery that housed 12,000
arahants, is a site of pilgrimage now
within the park. Along the way are
the Magul Maba Vihara and Akasa
Cetiya which stand amidst beaches or
wild rocky terrains ot serene natural
beauty, There are also historical sites
like battlefields, imbuedwith the
romance of historical tales.