Wildlife in Sri Lanka
Wildlife in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, a small and compact country in size, has an incredible wealth of spectacular wildlife both residing and visiting it’s golden shores.
Like so many other countries in the
world, Sri Lanka’s wildlife is suffering due to an ever-growing
population, whose requirements have resulted in encroachment further
into places of wilderness, leading to loss of habitat of many animal
species.
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Fortunately however, Sri Lanka has many
National Parks where the governing body of the Department of Wildlife,
oversees the protection and conservation of, it’s national and natural
treasures. Sri Lanka has a long history of regarding animals with a deep
respect, and this originates in the country’s 2,500 year old Buddhist
beliefs. Back in the 3rd Century, B.C. the country’s first
Buddhist monarch decided, that as Buddhism taught that animals were
sacred, land was to be set aside for their protection, and thus became
the world’s first animal sanctuary.
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Sri Lanka now has approximately 13% of
it’s land mass dedicated to the preservation and conservation in the
form of National Parks, sanctuaries and wetlands. With today’s use of
pesticides, pollution and growing agriculture, it is imperative that Sri
Lanka continues to understand the importance of being home to such
flora and fauna, most of which is unique to the country.
Wildlife enthusiasts who visit Ceylon,
often revel in the knowledge that they may witness the Sri Lankan
Leopard, the elusive Sloth Bear and the Asian Elephant roaming free in
remote areas of stunning natural beauty. With 91 species of mammals
alone living in the country, Sri Lanka provides a real hotspot of
diversity for animal lovers. Sri Lanka’s south eastern Yala National
Park, has the highest density of leopards to be found in the world, with
confirmed reports of at least one leopard every square kilometers in
one area alone. The slow moving Sloth Bear is Sri Lanka’s only bear, and
is often heard, rather than seen, as he sucks up insects making an
incredible noise whilst doing so. Recent reports estimate that there are
approximately 5,800 Asian Elephants living in Sri Lanka. They roam
freely around most of the National Parks, with the biggest herds living
in Minneriya. A universal wildlife spectacle is The Gathering at
Minneriya – for several months each year herds of up to 350 individual
elephants gather at a drying riverbed in the Park. This is the planet’s
largest gathering of elephants in the wild and has now been rated as # 6
in the world by Lonely Planet’s List of Natural Wonders of the Wildlife
World.
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Not only are the lands of Sri Lanka a
melting pot of diverse and endemic creatures, so too are the waters
surrounding the country’s coastline. On their annual migratory route
from the Horn of Africa to the Bay of Bengal, Blue and Sperm Whales can
be observed in several locations around the coast. The Blue Whale,
possibly the largest creature to ever have inhabited the earth, is one
of 26 cetacean species to be found in Sri Lanka’s waters. With so many
river systems flowing into the seas, there is a constant supply of
nutrients available to allow for ideal food chain conditions. The whales
pass through these waters and around the east coast, avoiding the
northern Palk Strait as it is too shallow for these majestic creatures
who favour deeper waters. Alongside the Blue and Sperm Whales,
supersized schools of Spinner Dolphins are regularly sighted.
The treasures are endless – 30 species
of bats, 171 species of reptiles, including the Mugger and Saltwater
Crocodiles, 82 species of freshwater fish, and with the highest endemism
rate in Asia for amphibians, Sri Lanka has it all for animal lovers.
Unique and diverse, Sri Lanka is truly a
Garden of Eden for those who are both passionate about nature and it’s
magic, and those who care about the protection of the animal and plant
kingdoms, which are so special to this planet.
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