Sri Lanka
Top National Parks to See Elephants
According to the World Animal Protection Organization’s Research Report on the conditions for elephants used in tourism in Asia, Sri Lanka has the highest density of wild Asian elephants worldwide, with an estimated five to six thousand in the wild and 120 to 200 in captivity. Sri Lanka has done a wonderful job of protecting its wildlife while also making it accessible to visitors. It is one of the top destinations in Asia if you want to see elephants in the wild.
1. Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe National Park lies on the boundary of Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, in Sri Lanka. The national park was created to provide a sanctuary for wild animals displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir on the Walawe River, as well as to protect the catchment of the reservoir.
2. Yala National Park
Yala National Park is a huge area of forest, grassland and lagoons bordering the Indian Ocean, in southeast Sri Lanka. It’s home to wildlife such as leopards, elephants and crocodiles, as well as hundreds of bird species. Inland, Sithulpawwa is an ancient Buddhist monastery. Nearby caves contain centuries-old rock paintings. Southwest, Magul Maha Viharaya also has ancient Buddhist ruins. Both are pilgrimage sites.
3. Minneriya & Kaudulla National Parks
Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks are next to each other in the North Central Province about 4-5 hours from Colombo. Close to Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle. The parks are seperated by a corridor allowing the elephants to pass from one to the other.
4. Wilpattu National Park
The unique feature of this park is the existence of "Willus" - Natural, sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. Located in the Northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka. It is one of the oldest and most important protected areas in Sri Lanka.
5. Gal Oya National Park
Gal Oya National Park in Sri Lanka was established in 1954 and serves as the main catchment area for Senanayake Samudraya, the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka. Senanayake Samudraya was built under the Gal Oya development project by damming the Gal Oya at Inginiyagala in 1950.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation initiated a major step towards the welfare and conservation of orphaned baby elephants in 1995. This resulted in the establishment of “Ath Athuru Sevana” (Elephant Transit Home) at the Udawalawe National Park.
Elephant Transit Home (ETH) takes care of orphaned elephant calves – until they are independent and able enough to be released back to the wild. Although, a majority of the general public enthusiastically supported this endeavour, at the inception many conservationists doubted its feasibility. Some openly opposed the initiative and tried to stop the conservation programme. However, Dr Nandana Atapattu, the former Head of the division of Wild Animal Health at the Department of Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka, worked bravely towards the establishment ETH, together with fellow officers at the Department of Wildlife Conservation. With minimum resources and manpower, ETH has successfully grown to be a successful entity in a short period. It has been recognised as one of best wild animal rehabilitation centres in the world.
Situated in the western border of the 33,000 hectares of Udawalawe National Park, ETH is adjacent to the “Udawalawe reservoir”. The elephant calves have no boundaries in the area and have freedom to roam wherever they want. Similarly wild elephants also visit the ETH premises. Seasonal fluctuating water level of the reservoir creates a diverse environment for both the baby elephants and wild elephants.
The first orphaned baby elephant taken care of at the Ath Athuru Sevana was a one year old female. She was found wandering alone in the forest near Meegalawa area in the Anuradhapura District. Dr. Nandana Atapattu, took in the baby elephant to ETH and registered her as the first resident – naming her “Komali”. Since then to date, more than 250 elephants have been taken care of at the ETH. All these orphaned wild elephants are re-introduced to the wild to their natural habitats at the age of five, when they are able to take care of themselves.
Visiting
Tourists may visit the Elephant Transit Home daily at the Udawalawe National Park. It’s a great activity to go along with a responsible jeep safari into the park to see wild animals, including elephants. Tickets for the adorable baby elephant milk feeding are on sale at the Transit Home for LKR 500 (about 5$ US) for adults and LKR 150 (about 2$ US) for children. Tickets include access to the visitor center and the observation platform. Milk feeding takes place at 9am, 12noon, 3pm, and 6pm.