Yala National Park
| Yala National Park | |
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
 Patanangala, a rock outcrop in the Yala beach | |
| Location of Yala National Park | |
| Location | Southern and Uva Provinces, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Hambantota |
| Coordinates | 6°22′22″N 81°31′01″E / 6.37278°N 81.51694°ECoordinates: 6°22′22″N 81°31′01″E / 6.37278°N 81.51694°E |
| Area | 97,880.7 hectares (377.919 sq mi) |
| Established | 1900 (Wildlife sanctuary) 1938 (National park) |
| Governing body | Department of Wildlife Conservation |
Yala National Park or Ruhuna National Park is the second largest and most visited national park in Sri Lanka. Yala is situated in the southeast region of the country, and lies in Southern Province and Uva Province. The park covers 979 square kilometres (378 sq mi) and is about 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Colombo. It had originally had been designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1900, and, along with Wilpattu it was one of the first two national parks in Sri Lanka, having been designated in 1938. The park is best known for its variety of its wild animals. It is important for the conservation of Sri Lankan Elephants and aquatic birds.
There are six national parks and three wildlife sanctuaries in the vicinity of Yala. The park is situated in the dry semi-arid climatic region and rain is received mainly during the northeast monsoon. The national park hosts a variety of ecosystems ranging from moist monsoon forests to freshwater and marine wetlands. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami caused severe damage on the Yala National park and 250 people has died in the park.
Yala is one of the 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Sri Lanka. Yala harbours 215 bird species including six endemic species of Sri Lanka. The number of mammals that has been recorded from the park is 44, and it has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. The area had been a centre of past civilisations. Two important pilgrim sites, Sithulpahuwa and Magul vihara, are situated within the park. The number of visitors has risen in 2009 since the security situation in the park improved.
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History
In 1560 Spanish cartographer Cipriano Sanchez noted Yala in his map "is abandoned for 300 years due to insalubrious conditions."[1] Chief Justice Sir Alexander Johnston wrote a detailed account on Yala in 1806 after travelling from Trincomalee to Hambantota. On March 23, 1900 the government proclaimed Yala and Wilpattu reserves under the Forest Ordinance.[2] Initially the extent of the reserve was 389 square kilometres (150 sq mi) between the Menik and Kumbukkan Rivers. At that time the reserve did not bear the name Yala. The Game Protection Society (now the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society) was instrumental in establishing the reserve. The forest area between Palatupana and Yala was declared a hunting site reserved only for the resident sportsmen.[2]
Henry Engelbrecht was appointed as the first park warden.[1] He was a Boer officer served under General de Wet in the Second Boer War. He was taken as a prisoner of war in 1900 and had deported to Ceylon with 5,000 other prisoners. As Engelbrecht refused to swear allegiance to Edward VII, he was not allowed to repatriate to South Africa. Although he was granted the freedom of movement within the country, he could obtain his pension only from the Kachcheri of Hambantota. The governor of Ceylon, Sir Henry Arthur Blake met him on a journey to Hambantota from Badulla, and as a result, in 1908 Engelbrecht was awarded the position of warden. He administrated the area well, took care of wildlife and apprehended illegal hunters. However during the World War I, he was imprisoned for supplying meat to a German cruiser, SMS Emden. Engelbrecht was released after three months, and he returned to Hambantota. He died in poverty after a few years on 25 March 1922. In 1931 Captain S. Withoift, who was the second in command of the ship came to Colombo and addressed the Colombo Rotary Club. Lucien Poulier, the lawyer of Engelbrecht wrote a letter to him and received a letter from Withoift claiming that the ship never received meat or had any connection with Ceylon during the ship's voyage in the Indian Ocean.[1]
o n 1 March 1938 Yala became a national park when the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance was passed into law by D. S. Senanayake, the minister of agriculture. The park consists of five blocks.[3] Subsequently four other blocks were incorporated to the park. There are six national parks and three wildlife sanctuaries in the vicinity of Yala. Kumana National Park, Yala Strict Nature Reserve and Kataragama, Katagamuwa, and Nimalawa sanctuaries are continuous with the park.[2]
| Block | Extent | Date added to the park |
|---|---|---|
| Block I | 14,101 hectares (54.44 sq mi) | 1938 |
| Block II | 9,931 hectares (38.34 sq mi) | 1954 |
| Block III | 40,775 hectares (157.43 sq mi) | 1967 |
| Block IV | 26,418 hectares (102.00 sq mi) | 1969 |
| Block V | 6,656 hectares (25.70 sq mi) | 1973 |
| Source: Sri Lanka Wetlands Information and Database[3] | ||
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