Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. The park consists of five blocks, two of which are now open to the public, and also adjoining parks. The blocks have individual names such as, Ruhuna National Park (block 1) and Kumana National Park or ‘Yala East’ for the adjoining area. It is situated in the southeast region of the country, and lies in Southern Province and Uva Province. The park covers 979 square kilometres (378 sq mi) and is located about 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Colombo. Yala was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1900, and, along with Wilpattu was one of the first two national parks in Sri Lanka, having been designated in 1938.
Yala National Park in Sri Lanka is divided into five blocks, with each block having its own characteristics and wildlife:
Block 1
Also known as Ruhuna National Park, this block is mainly covered by forest with some grassland. It’s considered to have the most rewarding wildlife sightings. You can enter this block through the Palatupane entrance or the less crowded Katagamuwe entrance.
Block 2
You can enter this block with a special permit.
Block 3
This block is not open to visitors, but some specialized tours may enter to see sloth bears.
Blocks 4 and 5
You can access these blocks via the Galage entrance. Block 5 is actually part of a different park called Lunugamvehera National Park.
The park is best known for its variety of wild animals. It is important for the conservation of Sri Lankan elephants, Sri Lankan leopards and aquatic birds. There are six national parks and three wildlife sanctuaries in the vicinity of Yala. Among the largest is Lunugamvehera National Park. The park is situated in the dry semi-arid climatic region and rain is received mainly during the northeast monsoon. Yala hosts a variety of ecosystems ranging from moist monsoon forests to freshwater and marine wetlands.
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