Plan Your Trip
Wildlife
For its size, Sri Lanka boasts an incredible
diversity of animalia: 92 mammal species,
242 butterflies, 435 birds, 107 fish, 98 snakes
and more. Given the fragility of the environ-
ment in which they live, it should come as
no surprise that quite a few are vulnerable.Mammals
Sri Lanka’s mammals include some of the
most easily observable of the country’s
animal species, as well as some of the most
invisible. Hard to spot are the solitary and
mostly nocturnal leopard, Sri Lanka’s top
predator; the scavenging golden jackal;
the shaggy sloth bear; the civet (a catlike
hunter related to the weasel); the mon-
goose; and the shy, armour-plated Indian
pangolin, with overlapping scales made
from modified hair.
Very audible, but not always visible, are
troops of tree-bound cackling primates,
such as common langurs, also known as
Hanuman or grey langurs; endemicNational Parks & Safaris
Sri Lanka is one of the finest wildlife-watching countries in South
Asia. The island may be small in size, but the variety of habitats, and
the wildlife found there, would do justice to a country many times
its size. Even a visitor with only the most casual of interest can’t help
but be overawed by the sight of great herds of elephants, enormous
whales, elusive leopards, schools of dolphins, hundreds of colourful
birds, and reefs teeming with rainbow-coloured fish.The Sri Lankan
tourism industry hasn’t been slow to cotton on to the country’s wild-
life-watching potential, and an impressive array of national parks,
protected zones and safari options exist that allow anyone, from
dedicated naturalists to interested lay persons, to get out there with
a pair of binoculars and make the most of the Sri Lankan wilderness.Wildlife by Region
West, South & East
The west is best for marine life, but Wilpattu
National Park has large mammals, and birders
will like Muthurajawela Marsh. The south coast is
home to whales and turtles, and Yala National Park
is one of the best places in Asia to see leopards.
In the east there are quiet national parks and bird
species that prefer drier climates than the west
and south.The Hill Country
The hills have rainforests, moorlands and savan-
nah parks with everything from elephants to
endemic high country birds.The Ancient Cities
Numerous national parks are filled with big ticket
mammals and offer great dry country birding.
Even the region’s ruined cities provide ideal
habitat for many creatures.©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
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