 
by Nilma Dole
One of Sri Lanka's magical and frequently visited national parks that
offers the best wildlife watching is no doubt the Yala National Park.
With a wide diversity of endemic and common species, it is a treasure
trove of an amazing multitude of habitats from scrub jungle, lakes,
brackish lagoons to winding rivers.
The Ruhuna National Park is divided into five blocks of which Block 1
(Yala West) is open to the public and after the dawn of peace, Yala's
tourist and domestic arrivals is definitely going to increase. Says
naturalist and CEO of Jetwing eco-holidays, Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne,
"The flora is typical of dry monsoon forest vegetation in the Southern
belt.
 Plains are interspersed with pockets of forest containing Palu,
Satinwood, Weera, Maila, Mustard Tree, Neem and Woodapple". Speaking
about the wildlife, he said, "Endemic birds include the Ceylon
Junglefowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon Woodshrike and Ceylon Swallow.
The park is also good for dry zone specialties like Indian and Great
Thick-knees, Sirkeer and Blue-faced Malkohas and Malabar Pied Hornbill.
The park is probably the best place to see the rare Black-necked Stork.
A day's birding in the park, during the northern winter, can yield a 100
species".
The major attractions are the majestic elephants, leopards and sloth
bears that are widely photographed and frequently seen. A recent study
has shown that Yala has one of the highest densities of Leopards in the
world. A game drive could yield Black-naped Hare, Spotted Deer, Sambar,
Hanuman Langur, Toque Monkey, Stripe-necked and Ruddy Mongooses, Wild
Boar, Jackal, Land and Water Monitor and Marsh Crocodile.
At the end of the North-East Monsoon (February), the park is also
very good for butterflies.
The best way to go there is venturing about 40 km beyond Hambantota
on the A2 route.
According to Childers Jayawardhana, the former Warden of the Yala
National Park, "The earliest epigraphic "Brahmi" inscriptions discovered
in Sri Lanka and in this region date back to the 2nd century B.C. Prior
to this the Indo-Aryan settlers from Northern India as represented, in
the legend of Vijaya, were well established and in full control of the
area."
Edifices of the earliest Buddhist cave monastery type began to be
constructed wherever there was human habitation and in suitable rock
outcrops, of which there are many in the area. There are to this day
innumerable and very interesting remains of cave dwellings from the
pre-Christian era.”
 This region was part of the Rohana (Ruhuna) Kingdom, having an
advanced civilization as evinced by remains of dagabas and ancient
artificial reservoirs (tanks), to irrigate large extents of cultivable
land.Historical evidence draws attention to the absence of inscriptions
later than the 10th century A.D. He said, “Architectural and sculptural
remains of the medieval period are absent.
It would appear to be a justifiable inference that some sudden
de-population of the region occurred. The ancient chronicles supply no
information whatsoever and the jungle tide spread covering the past with
a mantle of secondary forest.These have matured to the climax seen in
Yala today”.
The Game Protection Society (now the Wildlife and Nature Protection
Society) founded in 1894 by the plantation owners, executives of firms,
sportsmen and amateur naturalists went in favour of conserving Yala’s
wildlife.
The park was badly damaged by the tsunami in December 26, 2004, with
the destruction of the wildlife center and tourist lodge. Today, it is
open and ready to take travellers after the end of war. |
