The Tropical Paradise Island Sri Lanka is a perfect home for abundance wildlife and it only second to the great continent – Africa. 29.9% or about 1,933,000 hectares of Sri Lanka is forested. Sri Lanka encompasses a total of 26 National Parks which covers about 5,734 Square Kilometers & it covers 9% of Sri Lanka’s total area consists of National Park. On this forests & grasslands, Sri Lankan Elephants are biggest mammal that roam around. The Sri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is the largest of the four sub species of Asian Elephants. According to the latest surveys, including the survey conducted by Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife (DWLC), there are 5000-7500 wild elephants in Sri Lankan forests and the elephant range is approximately 15,000 Square Kilometers.
Out of 24 National Parks, Minneriya National Park, Udawalawe National Park, Gal Oya National Park, Yala National Park, Wilpattu National Park, Wasgmuwa National Park & Maduru Oya National Park is best parks to spot Sri Lankan wild elephants in their natural inhabitants. Among these Parks, Yala National Park is the most famous and the most visited National Park in the country. Yala National Park is recognized as the place where having the highest density of Leopards in the world. Not only Leopards but It is also a home for small herds of Sri Lankan Wild Elephants.
But there is a very special and world famous wild elephant roams in Yala. Especially in Block 1 of Yala National Park. Yala’s most notorious & renowned tusker “Gemunu”. It is a male elephant who was born in Yala National Park in 1991 and he was named after the great Sri Lankan king who ruled the country in 2C.BC- King Dutugemunu. Elephant is aged around 31 years old (In 2021) & he is a friendly wild elephants who mainly can be seen on the main road of Yala National Park. Also he can be spotted around Sithulpawwa road & Koma Wewa, Handunoruwa region.