Nature & Wildlife · Fauna
The Wild Island
Few places so small hold such a variety of large animals: elephants, leopards and bears on land, and blue whales offshore.
6 min read
An educational feature from the Nature & Wildlife collection.
01
Sri Lankan elephants
The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is a subspecies of the Asian elephant. During the dry season, large numbers gather around the reservoirs of Minneriya and Kaudulla — a spectacle known locally as ‘the Gathering’.
02
Leopards
The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is an endemic subspecies and the island’s top predator. Yala and Wilpattu National Parks are among the best places to see it.
03
Sloth bears
The Sri Lankan sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) lives in the dry-zone forests, feeding on termites, fruit and honey. It is shy and rarely seen.
04
Endemic birds
Sri Lanka is home to more than thirty endemic bird species, including the Sri Lanka junglefowl — the national bird — and the Sri Lanka blue magpie, found in the wet zone forests.
05
Marine wildlife
Off the southern coast near Mirissa, blue whales can be seen in season, along with sperm whales and spinner dolphins.
Did you know
Interesting facts
01
The Sri Lankan leopard is an endemic subspecies.
02
The Sri Lanka junglefowl is the national bird.
03
Sri Lanka is part of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot.
References & further reading
- Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka
Content is summarised from the sources above for educational purposes. LANKA. is an independent publication.
