After recent wildlife casualties due to reckless driving of some safari vehicles in Yala, the Sri Lankan Government is taking steps to combat this issue – very welcome news to us!
Over recent months, there have been a number of fatal collisions between wildlife and speeding safari vehicles, including situations where Jungle Cat (Felis chaus kelaarti) and the endangered Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) have been killed. Finally however, steps have been taken by the Sri Lankan Tourism Board to bring together the Road Development Authority and the Sri Lankan Wildlife Department to come up with a solution to combat these issues.
As a result of the meeting, you will soon be seeing speed bumps along the roads bordering the national park, as well as on the main dirt road within the park. This is actually a win win for the wildlife and tourists alike, as if the jeeps go slower not only will the wildlife be safer, but you will get more opportunities of spotting some of Sri Lanka’s incredibly diverse fauna and flora!
Speak to one of our experts about including a trip to Yala or one of Sri Lanka’s many other National Parks in your next trip.