Considering the heat stress faced by animals and wildlife officers due to the prevailing high temperatures, Zones 01 and 02 of Yala National Park will be closed from September 14.
Speaking during the ‘BIG FOCUS’ programme held today (07), Additional Director General (Operations) of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Manjula Mararatne, said the prevailing hot weather has severely affected animals, with both water shortages and heat stress becoming major concerns.
He also said wildlife officers are facing difficulties in carrying out their duties under the current conditions, particularly with a large number of tourist jeeps travelling within the national park.
Manjula Mararatne said officers are closely monitoring the situation in Yala Zones 01 and 02, which are located in Sri Lanka’s dry zone, as well as areas surrounding the Mannar and Wilpattu national parks.
He further stated that action would be taken to close the relevant national parks when necessary or provide the facilities required to enable both animals and wildlife officers to function without being adversely affected by heat stress.
