Footloose
A tradition of conservation
DR. SANJIVA WIJESINHA
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The arrival of Buddhism from India 2,500 years ago brought with it a reverence for all living beings — and a royal decree establishing the world’s first wildlife sanctuary. A quick guide to the popular wildlife reserves today…
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Photos: Dr. Sanjiva Wijesinha
Born free: Elephants and painted stork (below) at Yala.
It was in 306 BCE that Buddhism first came to Sri Lanka from India when the missionary monk Arahat Mahinda was sent by Emperor Ashoka to convey the Buddha’s message to his colleague, the Sri Lankan king Devanampiya Tissa.
The monk, on arriving in the island’s capital city Anuradhapura, came upon the king hunting deer in the royal hunting preserve. Stopping the king in his tracks, the monk spoke to him about the Buddha’s teachings — which, among other concepts, emphasises the sanctity of all living beings. He also informed the king that all mammals, birds and other creatures should enjoy the same right as his people to live in the land.
“The land,” said Mahinda, “belongs to all the people and animals. The king is only its guardian and not its owner.”
Mihintale
Impressed by the monk’s words, the king converted to Buddhism. Moreover, he renounced the pleasures of the hunt and designated his former hunting preserve as a sanctuary where animals and birds could roam free, being granted royal protection from hunters. Even today, the area around Mihintale which he set aside for the birds and animals by royal decree remains a designated wildlife sanctuary.
Nowadays, through Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation, the country’s nature reserves like Mihintale as well Yala, Uda Walawe and Wilpattu continue this ancient tradition, allowing tourists to visit these animal sanctuaries and have the pleasure of watching a variety of wild animals in their natural habitat.
Yala
Yala Natural Park, which is administered by the Department, is conveniently situated about six hours from Colombo’s International Airport and is 40 kilometres from the holy shrine of Kataragama in the southeastern corner of the island.
We visited this Nature Reserve soon after the December rains when the trees and grass were green and the lakes were full. The 300-km drive from the Colombo airport takes the visitor through beautiful scenery, following either the A2 southern coastal road that skirts the Indian Ocean with its palm-fringed beaches or the inland A8 road that passes through rice fields, straw-thatched cottages and peaceful rural villages. Both routes take approximately the same length of time to take you there. So the best plan is go on the A2 and return along the A8!
Situated just two kilometres from the park entrance, the eco-friendly Yala Village Resort ( www.yalavillage.com
) provides comfortable accommodation in air-conditioned chalets that have been constructed within a jungle environment. Of an evening you may even see an elephant from the verandah of your chalet! The rates for a single room range from US$110 to 130.
Camping within the park is not permitted. To visit the park you can either hire a safari jeep with driver or use your own vehicle, but for safety reasons it is essential to take a guide (called a “tracker”) with you on your drives through the park. Entrance tickets may be purchased at the park gates.
A drive early in the morning before breakfast or between 4 and 6 p.m. before dusk falls is ideal, allowing you to avoid the tropical heat and see the many different animals that make the park their home. You can marvel at a beautiful herd of spotted deer or a majestic sambhar and then spend a patient half-hour silently watching a family of elephants or admiring an elusive leopard sunning itself on a rock. There are hundreds of birds, ranging from peacocks and hornbills to whoopoe birds and green bee eaters and even winter migrants who have flown here from as far north as Siberia.
Kumana
The Kumana National Park, about 300 km from Colombo, lies to the east of Yala and is a paradise for bird watchers. A highlight here is the 200 hectare “Kumana Villu”, a mangrove swamp where during the months of May and June a host of water birds such as herons, flamingoes, egrets, painted storks, pelicans, spoonbills, white ibis, cormorants and even the rare black-necked storks may be seen. Sri Lankan Expeditions ( www.srilankanexpeditions.com
) maintain an “off the beaten track” Kumana Birding and Safari Camp on the banks of the Kumbukkan River, while Stardust Hotel, situated in nearby Arugam Bay ( http://www.arugambay.com
) provides clean and comfortable accommodation, having luxury rooms with attached bathrooms from US$ 60.
Uda Walawe
Just south of the central hill country, the Uda Walawe National Park — a mixture of scrub jungle, grassland and abandoned teak plantation — is located around the man-made Uda Walawe Reservoir. It is a wonderful place to see elephants as about 500 wild elephants live here in large herds.
Quick facts
Getting there: Sri Lankan Airlines, Indian Airlines and Jetwings fly regularly to Colombo which is a six hour drive from Yala.
Where to stay: Yala Village (close to Yala National Park) — www.yalavillage.com
Information: Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation: http://203.143.23.34/index.php
Sri Lanka Tourism: www.srilankatourism.org
Sri Lankan Expeditions: www.srilankanexpeditions.com
Arugam Bay and Stardust Hotel: www.arugambay.com
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