The Department of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Conservation has taken steps to temporarily close Zones 01 and 02 of Yala National Park to tourists from today (14) due to the prevailing severe dry weather conditions.
Accordingly, the closure will remain in effect for one month, from today until October 15.
Yala National Park is home to 44 species of mammals, 215 species of birds, 47 species of reptiles and 21 species of fish. The period from August to March is generally considered the peak tourist season at the park.
However, this year, the El Niño weather conditions have severely affected the tourist season, resulting in many water sources inside the park drying up.
Wildlife and Forest Conservation Department officials said the intense heat has caused animals in the park to face a severe shortage of drinking water, while the drying of vegetation and grasslands has also created a shortage of food.
In response to the crisis, wildlife officials have implemented a special programme to provide water for the animals.
Under the programme, water obtained from four locations along the Menik Ganga using solar-powered pumps is being transported through underground pipelines to ponds within the national park.
In addition, officials are transporting around 200,000 litres of water daily by bowsers to fill artificial and natural ponds.
The main objective of temporarily closing the two zones is to reduce disturbances caused by tourist vehicles as animals move in search of food and water during the dry period, allowing them to move freely within the park.
