Makini Bush Camp Blog

  Yala National Park, a wildlife paradise nestled in the heart of Sri Lanka, holds incredible treasures for nature enthusiasts. However, to make the most of your Yala experience, it's essential to avoid common pitfalls that may hinder your exploration. In this blog post, we delve into the top five mistakes visitors often make when venturing into Yala, providing insights and recommendations to ensure an unforgettable journey through this captivating wilderness. Having a Short Stay in Yala: Unveiling the True Gems One of the common mistakes is limiting your time in Yala. To fully immerse yourself in the park's wonders, it's recommended to spend at least two nights, or ideally three. Each block within Yala, such as Block 1 and Block 5, offers unique experiences and sightings. By allowing yourself ample time to relax, stretch your legs, and savor the weather, you create opportunities to uncover the park's hidden treasures and embrace its serene ambiance. Focusing Solely on ...

World Wildlife Day is celebrated annually on March 3rd to raise awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation and the urgent need to protect our planet's flora and fauna. This year's theme is "Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation," which highlights the critical role that collaboration and cooperation play in protecting wildlife and their habitats. In Sri Lanka, the conservation of wildlife and their habitats is essential to maintain the country's rich biodiversity, which includes many endemic species. However, habitat destruction, poaching, and human-wildlife conflicts are major threats to Sri Lanka's wildlife, and urgent action is needed to address these issues. Strengthening partnerships between government agencies, conservation organizations, and local communities is crucial to the success of conservation efforts in Sri Lanka. By working together, we can share resources, knowledge, and expertise to develop effective strategies and solutions to p...

The Makini philosophy revolves around the conservation and improvement of a balanced ecosystem, which includes all flora and fauna, in and around the camp. We have already commenced several conservation projects aimed at identifying habitats of different avian and mammalian species within the campsite. It is equally important to collect as much data as possible to measure the success of our conservation activities pre and post implementation. This includes observations and indicators documented under varying conditions and seasons. The first such initiative was a bird species and number count, done within a 4-hour period within the camp and surrounding areas. Bird Count Counting individual birds we see is a daunting task, but it can give valuable information on population density and causes that would grow or shrink the bird population. These changes may indicate shifts in climate change, habitat loss, pollution levels, migration timing, and more. Accuracy of the figures and taking the...

The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, that's native to Sri Lanka. They're spread across almost every part of the country from the dry low lands to mountains and rainforests. Though they live all over the island, Minneriya, Kaudulla and Udawalawa national parks give ample opportunities to see and photograph Sri Lankan Elephants in large herds. Elephants eat almost every part of the tree and have a particular interest in aquatic plants like Lotus and Water Lillies. They eat up to 150-200 kilograms of vegetation every day. Sri Lankan Elephants are considered as the most intelligent elephant variety. They have 90% of the brain developed when they are born and can adapt to any environment in no time. Elephants, in general, are known to be led by the matriarch because the eldest (female) elephant, the most experienced one in a herd knows where to find water at different times of the year. However, if you take Sr...

Yala homes the only bear species found in the Sri Lankan wilderness, the Sri Lankan sloth bear ( Melursus ursinus inornatus ) which is a subspecies of sloth bear that’s native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan sloth bear population is highly threatened and consider as critically endangered due to habitat loss. The current bear population in the wild is a little higher than 500. Yala national park provides ample opportunities to see and photograph the Sri Lankan sloth bear in its native wild habitats. But the best chances to see bears are either during the rainy season or during the Palu season. Sloth bears love to eat termites that live inside termite mounds. They have to break the tough solid structure to put its long mouth in and suck termites off the mound. After the rain, this becomes easier for bears as the mound gets soaked and weakens its structural integrity. If you’re visiting Yala, and want to see bears, your chances will increase if you go in the rainy season, however, that might not...