YALA NATIONAL PARK

Yala (යාල) NationalPark is the most visited and secondlargest national park in Sri Lanka, bordering the Indian Ocean.Yala hosts a variety of ecosystems ranging from moist monsoon forests to freshwater and marine wetlands.The number of mammals that has been recorded from the park is 44, and IT HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST LEOPARD DENSITIES THE WORLD.40 individual leopards are estimated to roam in Block I.The elephant herd of Yala contains 300–350 individuals.Yala national park is one of the 70 Important Bird Areas in Sri Lanka. Yala harbours 215 bird species including six endemic species of Sri Lanka.The Sri Lankan slothbear, leopard,elephant, and wildwaterbuffalo are all threatened mammals that Yala harbours. Although waterbuffaloes are indigenous to Sri Lanka, most populations contain genes of the domestic stock or have descended from feral populations. Toque macaque, golden palmcivet, slenderloris, and fishing cat are among the other mammals that can be seen in Yala. The elephant population of the park varies seasonally