Minneriya National Park

Minneriya National Park is in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka.

Understand
Tourists visit Minneriya largely because of elephants, especially in dry season. Around 150-350 elephants live there. Best time to spot elephants is from 15:00 to 18:00 when they are most active.

History
The area was designated as a national park in 1997, and had been declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938.

Flora and fauna
Park is inhabited by 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies. Large numbers of Sri Lankan elephants are attracted to grass fields on the edges of the reservoir during the dry season. The park is an important habitat for the two endemic monkeys of Sri Lanka: purple-faced langur and toque macaque.

Climate
The wet season lasts during the north eastern monsoon from October to January, while dry season lasts from May to September.

Get in
 { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoshape", "ids": "Q15253488" } The park is 182 km from Colombo, about 20 km from Sigiriya and 25 km from Polonnaruwa.

Fees and permits
Entrance ticket for foreigners costs US$15 + Tax (as of Aug 2017).

Go next

 * Kaudulla National Park &mdash; less known place to see elephants in about 20 km away from Minneriya
 * Polonnaruwa
 * Sigiriya