Sri Lanka’s Big5, that every nature lover must see

Last year Sri Lanka was recognized as the “Best Safari Destination Outside of Africa” by Forbes. At a time countries gradually lifting lockdowns and travelers eagerly searching for their first post-corona destination, we hope all wildlife and nature lovers will find this post timely and useful.

In Africa, 'Big 5' means the animals that are most aggressive and difficult to hunt on foot, even though many think that it means the animals that are the highest in demand by visitors. Sri Lanka has it’s own 'Big 5' however, unlike in Africa the animals were chosen purely based on the popularity and demand by local and foreign visitors and it consists of both land and sea mammals. Namely, Sri Lanka’s Big5 is the Sri Lankan leopard, Sri Lankan elephant, Sri Lankan sloth bear, the blue whale, and the sperm whale. It’s truly miraculous that a small island paradise like Sri Lanka with an area of just over 65000 km² able to home the world's largest land and sea mammal. In other words, this gives the ability for visitors to see the largest land and sea mammal within a window of just a couple of hours. The secret is no other than the perfect living conditions Sri Lanka provides for these animals to habituate in their natural ecosystems throughout the year.

Sri Lankan leopard

Sri Lanka is the top and the most favorite destination for leopard lovers. That’s mainly because the leopard is the apex predator in the Sri Lankan wilderness and they roam freely during the day time, giving people opportunities to see them in their natural habitats. Leopards and their habitats are discussed in detail in this article. As mentioned in that article, Yala is the best place for leopards because of the high density and habitats. The best time of the year to see leopards in Yala is the dry season that falls between August to October. Early morning hours and late afternoon hours are ideal to spot leopards as they come out of the thicket for water.

Sri Lankan elephant

Elephants numbers are higher than leopards and they are scattered across almost every part of the country. But if you’re an elephant lover, you should plan your trip to one of the following (or all) national parks as all parks border to lakes where elephants can be found in abundance.

• Udawalawe national park
• Minneriya national park
• Kaudulla national park
• Hurulu forest reserve

Again the best time of the year to visit the last 3 parks, which is located in the same region, is the dry season that falls between July to October. August to October time is the best for elephants in Udawalawe national park. For elephants, it’s best if you can plan your safari in the afternoon as all elephants come to the lake for water and you can find great gatherings of 200–400 elephants there. You can see elephants at Yala national park as well, but not in 100s rather in small groups or individuals.

Sri Lankan sloth bear

Sloth bears are the rarest land mammal kind compared to leopards and elephants. They’re shy and witty and try to avoid vehicles and other obstacles as much as possible. However, if you plan your safari trip right, there are high chances for you to spot one. They can be often spotted around Palu and Mustered trees and also around termite mounds where they break the mound and suck termites inside using its tongue.

Sloth bear behaviors and how/when to spot them are discussed in detail in this article. In Sri Lanka chances of spotting a Sloth bear is higher in Yala and Wilpattu national parks compared to all other parks, especially around May, June, and July period where Palu berries are plentiful.

Blue whale

Until recently it wasn’t well known that warm ocean around Sri Lanka is a top place in the world to see the largest mammal ever roamed the ocean. These gigantic animals can grow up to 30 meters in length and weighing around 180 tons. Mirissa and Trincomalee are the 2 most famous areas to see blue whales depending on the season.

From December to April, Southern Sri Lankan waters are calm and the weather is perfect to take a boat safari from Mirissa to see blue giants. Blue whales arrive in this region around November and spend a few months feeding on krill in deep waters. From June to October conditions are similar in Northeastern waters and give perfect conditions for whales to hang around. This is high time to see whales in the Trincomalee area.

Sperm whale

With the continental shelf being so close to the land of the western coast of Sri Lanka, Sperm whales can be seen often. The mix of cold water and warm water around the continental shelf creates a feast of rich nutrients that sperm whales feed. And it’s the same reason for seeing sperm whales closer to the land.

Sperm whales live in pods and a whale can grow up to 10–15 meters in length and 35–50 tons in weight. In Sri Lanka the most recognized place to spot sperm whales is Kalpitiya. The best time to see these creatures is the January-February period where the sea is calm and the visibility is higher.

As you know now, Sri Lanka’s Big5 is pretty much scattered throughout the country. But if you want to make the most out of your short visit to Sri Lanka, plan a trip to Yala national park where there are very high chances to see all the land mammals out of Big5 and on your way back to Colombo, make a stop at Mirissa (about 90 minutes away from Yala), and hop on a boat to see the giants in the ocean. Best of luck with the Big5 on your trip to Sri Lanka.