Saturday, June 14, 2008

Minneriya National Park















Distance from Colombo:
182km
Entrance: along the Habarana Polonnaruwa road
Access to the the park: by 4WD. 4 hour trip from Habarana
Size of the park: 8890 ha elephant corridor which joins up with Kaudulla & Wasgomuwa national parks
Main feature of the park: King Mahasena's magnificent Minneriya man made lake (3rd century) covering an area of 3000 ha
The terrain of the park: dry tropical forest to wetlands, grasslands
Best time to visit: June to September (dry season in the dry zone) when the mammals and birds roam around the tank
Main draw: herds of elephants up to 150. We can also see elephants on the Habarana road
Mammals: leopards, fishing cats, sambar deer, the endangered rusty spotted cat, sloth bear
Birds: cormorants, grey herons, spot-billed pelicans, painted storks, Sri Lankan hanging parrot & crimson-fronted barbet (160 species)

Transmigration of elephants of Minneriya National Park : Kaudulla National Park (Close to Polonnaruwa) & Wasgomuwa National Park (Close to Polonnaruwa)

The Photos of the Wild Elephants were taken by me during my visit at the Minneriya National Park.