Yala

With its diverse ecosystems, 44 animal species, more than 200 bird species, and a history dating back to 500 BC, Yala National Park is the most visited wildlife destination in Sri Lanka. Yala, which was designated a Game Reserve in 1938, is made up of five blocks totaling 151,778 hectares. Dunes, scrub forest, riverine forest, rocky outcrops, secondary forests, and coastal lagoons with mangrove forests are among the park’s primary habitat types.

It is also recognized for having the world’s largest concentration of leopards. Only Sri Lanka is home to the endangered Panthera Pardus Kotiya leopard subspecies.