Very likely
Asian elephant
The headline act. Herds of cows and calves with lone tuskers, from the smallest calf to the oldest matriarch.
All three parks
What youmight see.
Elephants are the headline, but the parks are alive from the tank edge to the treeline.
Wildlife is wild, so nothing is promised. This is what our guides see, and how often.
Rare
Sri Lankan leopard
Elusive and rare, but possible. Morning drives give the best odds.
Forest edges
Rare
Sloth bear
Shy and mostly seen at first light.
Forest
Very likely
Sambar and spotted deer
Herds graze the open plains, often close to elephants.
Minneriya, Kaudulla
Likely
Toque macaque and purple-faced langur
Troops moving through the canopy at the park edges.
All three parks
Likely
Painted stork and great pelican
Wetland birds working the shallows as the tank recedes.
Lake shores
Likely
Sri Lankan junglefowl
The national bird, calling from the scrub and crossing the track.
Forest tracks
Likely
Mugger crocodile
Basking on the banks of the Kaudulla tank.
Kaudulla
Over 160 bird species across the parks.
Bring binoculars. Our guides are as happy stopping for a kingfisher as for a herd.