Makini Bush Camp Blog

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 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...

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...