This is one of the biggest and best known of Sri Lanka’s parks, covering 500 square miles it is split into two Yala East and Yala West (Ruhunu national park).

Ruhunu national park is considered the best area for viewing animals and birds, due to its many different types of jungle habitat.

Animals to be found here include; elephants, leopards, sloth bear, deer, sambhur, grey langur, water monitor, marsh crocodile and estuarine crocodile.

Bird species found here include, Sri Lanka Jungle fowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Stone Curlew, Greater Thick Knee, Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Painted Stork, Sirkeer Malkoha, Blue-faced Malkoha, Green Bee- eater, Orange-breasted Green Pidgeon, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Brahminya Myna and rose coloured Starling. 130 species of Birds have been recorded here.

 

Yala East has a large variety of water birds on the Kumana Mangrove swamp.