Kumana National Park
The Kumana National Park, also known as Yala East National Park is located in the Ampara district of south-east of Sri Lanka at a distance of 391 kilometers from Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s sanctuary for endemic and migratory birds, Kumana National Park, is one of the country’s largest protected breeding grounds, home to some 255 species of birds.
Kumana has become a popular Eco tourism attraction and bird sanctuary because of its lake populated by large flocks of migratory waterfowls and other species of wading birds. The surroundings are also popular for pelicans, painted stalks, spoonbills, white ibis, heron, and little cormorants. A dry zone tropical thorn forest surrounds the wetlands with a variety of flora, dominant trees and common aquatic plants that form colourful swamps. The vegetation includes mangroves and kumbuk trees.
As well as its wildlife significance, the sanctuary also has a cultural connection recorded in rock inscriptions that date back to 1st and 2nd centuries BC.
It’s a far less zoo-like experience and it never feels too crowded here, even during high season. Yes, the density of animals is lower, but it’s not rare to spot a leopard, along with elephants, crocodiles, turtles, white cobras, wild buffalo. About a dozen bears live in the park, but they’re rarely seen.
