| Sri Lanka is privileged to have a wealth of bio-diversity, with many plants and animals endemic to it that are rarely found elsewhere in the world. In fact its lowland rain forest is the richest in South Asia. Fortunately a conservation ethic, dating back to the arrival of Buddhism in the third century, has helped maintain this. |
Out of the rich fauna found in Sri Lanka, 628 vertebrates (84 mammals, 379 birds, 133 reptiles and 32 amphibians) species can be found with a myriad of invertebrates and about 900 species of fish. Out of these 10 mammals, 21 birds, 70 reptiles, 15 amphibians and 17 fishes are indegenous to Sri Lanka.
Elephant, bear, leopard, wild buffalo, wild boar, sambhur, deer, monkey, porcupine, crocodile, iguana, a wide variety of birds and reptiles are found in the parks. By far the most popular and easily accessible is the Yala National Park. It is situated in the Southern province off Kataragama. Visitors who are unable to go so far may visit the Dehiwala Zoo or the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage along the Colombo-Kandy highway
The richness of the flora can be seen in the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens (C6), Hakgala Gardens (C7), Henarathgoda Gardens (A6), Worlds End (C7), Horten Plains (C7), Sinharaja Rain Forest ( B8) and the National Parks.
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