Elephants in Sri Lanka
Where and when to see elephants in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan elephants, a subspecies of Asian elephants, can be seen in large numbers at Minneriya and Kaudulla National parks. The best time to visit these parks is from July to November when you get to see the elephant gatherings. Seeing a hundred to two hundred Elephants is a common sight in July and August. The special feature is the number of Baby elephants you see here. If you go on a game drive there is a guarantee that you will see elephants and the question asked is how many. You could watch their unique
behavior for hours for sure.
“Nature’s great masterpiece, an elephant ― the only harmless great thing.”
– John Donne –
There are over three thousand wild Elephants in Sri Lanka and most of them
live in the dry zone. Though there is no opportunity to see the gathering,
National parks like Udawalwa & Wasgamuwa are infested with a large number
of Elephants. Yala and Wilpatthu National parks give you a good chance
to spot the Sri Lankan Elephant. But as these are the two largest National
parks the Elephants are scatted and usually being spotted in small numbers.
The born free foundation is running an Elephant transit home where they
treat and nurse orphan baby Elephants. Once the Elephants recover they
slowly release them to the Udawalawa National Park.
The Elephant population is stable in Srilanka. There is no poaching as most Asian Elephants do
not grow tusks. There is a human–elephant conflict that has been going on for some time. It is
being controlled to an extent by building electric fences around the National parks and the bordering
villages.
Family Holidays in Srilanka are very popular. The main reason for the cause is the Elephants. The Kids love
watching the Elephants playing in the huge reservoirs, Babies being fed by their Mothers, rubbing
their bodies against the trees, and endlessly eating. The gentle nature of this giant mammal is
indeed a pleasure to observe.