Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka, bordering the Indian Ocean. The park consists of five blocks, two of which are now open to the public and also adjoining parks. The blocks have individual names such as, Ruhuna National Park (Block 1), and Kumana National Park or ‘Yala East‘ for the adjoining area. It is situated in the Southeast region of the country, and lies in Southern Province and Uva Province. The park covers 979 square kilometers and is located about 300 kilometers from Colombo. Yala was designated as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1900, and, along with Wilpattu 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 wild animals. It is important for the conservation of Sri Lankan elephants, Sri Lankan leopards and aquatic birds. Yala hosts a variety of ecosystems ranging from moist monsoon forests to freshwater and marine wetlands. It 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. Among its more famous residents are the World’s Biggest Concentration of Leopards, majestic elephants, sloth bears, sambars, jackals, spotted dear, peacocks, and crocodiles. The best time to visit Yala is between February and July when the water levels of the park are quite low, bringing animals into the open.

Minneriya National Park is in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a National Park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1938. Large numbers of Sri Lankan elephants are attracted to grass fields on the edges of the reservoir during the dry season. The Minneriya tank contributes to sustain a large herd. Elephants gathered here is numbering around 150-200. Some reports account number of elephants to as high as 700. They migrate here from Wasgamuwa National Park and benefit from food and shelter of the park’s forest. The park is an important habitat for the two endemic monkeys of Sri Lanka: Purple -Faced Langur and Toque Macaque. Large herbivorous mammals such as Sri Lankan sambar deer and Sri Lankan axis deer frequent the park. Rare and endangered species such as Sri Lankan leopard and Sri Lankan sloth bear inhabit in Minneriya. Minneriya is one of the areas where the gray slender loris is reportedly found in Sri Lanka. Tourists visit Minneriya largely because of elephants, especially in dry season.

Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by Montane Grassland and Cloud Forest. The peaks of Kirigalpoththa (7,838 ft.) and Thotupola Kanda (7,733 ft.), the second and the third highest of Sri Lanka, are situated to the West and North respectively. This plateau at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 meters (6,900–7,500 ft.) is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. Horton Plains was designated as a Wildlife Sanctuary on 5 December 1969 and because of its Biodiversity Value, was elevated to a National Park on 18 March 1988. It is also a popular tourist destination and is situated 32 kilometers from Nuwara Eliya. The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. This includes many endemic woody plants. Large herds of Sri Lankan sambar deer feature as typical mammals and the park is also an Important Bird Area with many species. The peak wilderness sanctuary which lies in West is contiguous with the park. The land area covered by Horton Plains is 3,160 hectares. Horton Plains contains the most extensive area of Cloud Forest still existing in Sri Lanka. On July 2010, the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka which incorporates Horton Plains National Park, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary and Knuckles Mountain Range was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Horton Plains is a popular tourist destination, with World’s End being the key attraction.

Udawalawe National Park lies on the boundary of Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, in Sri Lanka. The national park was created to provide a sanctuary for wild animals displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir on the Walawe River, as well as to protect the catchment of the reservoir. The reserve covers 30,821 hectares of land area and was established on 30 June 1972. Before the designation of the National Park, the area was used for Shifting Cultivation (Chena farming). The farmers were gradually removed once the national park was declared. The park is 165 kilometers from Colombo. Udawalawe is an important habitat for Sri Lankan elephants, which are relatively hard to see in its open habitats. Many elephants are attracted to the park because of the Udawalawe reservoir, with a herd of about 250 believed to be permanently resident. The Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home was established in 1995 for the purpose of looking after abandoned elephant calves within the park. A total of nine calves, on two occasions in 1998 and 2000, with another eight calves in 2002, were released in the park when old enough to fend for themselves. The rusty-spotted cat, fishing cat and Sri Lankan leopard are members of the family Felidae present in Udawalawe. The Sri Lankan sloth bear is seldom seen because of its rarity. Sri Lankan sambar deer, Sri Lankan axis deer, Indian muntjac, Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain, wild boar and water buffalo are among other mammal species. Udawalawe is also a good Birdwatching Site. Endemics such as Sri Lanka spurfowl, red-faced malkoha, Sri Lanka grey hornbill, brown-capped babbler, and Sri Lanka junglefowl are among of the breeding resident birds. White wagtail and black-capped kingfisher are rare migrants. Oriental garden lizards, painted-lip lizards, mugger crocodiles, Asian water monitors, Bengal monitors and 30 species of snake are found in the park. It is a popular tourist destination and the third most visited park in the country.

Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a National Park and a Biodiversity Hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Sinharaja is the country’s last viable area of Primary Tropical Rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of them are considered rare. The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests ecoregion, was saved from the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988. The reserve’s name translates as Lion Kingdom. The reserve is only 21 km from East to West, and a maximum of 7 km from North to South, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Because of the dense vegetation, wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala. There are about 3 elephants, and 15 or so leopards. The most common larger mammal is the endemic Purple-Faced Langur. Birds tend to move in mixed feeding flocks, invariably led by the fearless Sri Lanka Crested Drongo and the noisy orange-billed babbler. Of Sri Lanka’s 26 endemic birds, the 20 rainforest species all occur here, including the elusive red-faced malkoha, green-billed coucal and Sri Lanka blue magpie. The reserve is well-integrated with the local population that is living in some dozens of villages dotted along the border. The villages are more in number along the Southern border whilst the presence of some large estates along the Northern border has resulted in only a few villages there. The locals collect herbal medicine, edible fruits, nuts, mushrooms, other non-timber forest products including bees honey and a sugary sap collected from a local palm species of the genus Caryota. The sap is converted into jaggery, a local brew and vinegar. In addition, the crystal-clear water coming from dozens of streams is the main water source for all people living around the reserve. For generations, local people trekked through the forest from South to North to make their annual pilgrimage to the Adams Peak.

Pigeon Island National Park is one of the two Marine National Parks of Sri Lanka. The national park is situated 1 km off the coast of Nilaveli, a coastal town in Eastern Province, encompassing a total area of 471.429 hectares. The island’s name derives from the Rock Pigeon which has colonized it. The national park contains some of the best remaining coral reefs of Sri Lanka. Pigeon Island was designated as a Sanctuary in 1963. In 2003 it was re-designated as a National Park. This national park is the 17th in Sri Lanka. The island was used as a Shooting Range during the Colonial Era. Pigeon Island is one of the several protected areas affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. Pigeon Island consists of two islands; Large Pigeon Island and Small Pigeon Island. The large Pigeon Island is fringed by a coral reef, and is about 200 m long and 100 m wide. Its highest point is 44.8 m above mean sea level. The Small Pigeon Island is surrounded by rocky islets. The national park is situated within the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. The Large Pigeon Island’s coral reef fauna is dominated by Acropora spp. with some Montipora spp. Faviidae, Mussidae and Poritidae species dominate the coral reef around the rocky islets. Areas with soft corals such as Sinularia, Lobophyton, and Sarcophyton can also be observed. The coral reef harbors many vertebrates and invertebrates. Many of the 100 species of corals and 300 coral reef fishes recorded around the Trincomalee area are found in the national park. Juvenile and adult blacktip reef shark are seen around the shallow coral areas. Hawksbill turtle, green turtle and olive ridley are the visiting sea turtles of the coral reef. The island is important breeding ground for the rock pigeon. Fishing and ornamental fish collections are the main economic usages of the coral reef. The Pigeon Island is also used as a Scuba Diving Site.