Calling all animal lovers – explore three unique wildlife parks to get up close and personal with Sri Lanka’s exotic creatures including elephants, leopards, sea turtles and more!

Begin the once in a lifetime experience at Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe run by the Born Free Foundation. Located about 5 kilometres away from the Udawalawe National Park, the park is a halfway house that cares for wounded adult elephants and orphaned, baby elephants.

The complex usually houses about 50 elephants during any time of the year. Apart from caring for the sick and orphaned animals, it also rehabilitates them before they are released into the wild. Marvel at the magnificent creatures during the baby elephants’ feeding times of scheduled four times daily.

Afterward, kick off your jeep safari experience at Udawalawe National Park. This park is home to scenic landscapes and rare wildlife that rival the savannah reserves of Africa and is most popular for elephant sightings as the verdure shelters close to 500 jumbos.

From there, set out on another jeep safari at Yala National Park – its magnificent sights of majestic elephant herds, fine-feathered peacocks, great black bears and agile leopards that steal away into the shadows of the thick foliage are unparalleled to any of the national parks in the country.

Finally, visit one of the region’s turtle hatchery and conservation projects. Here have the opportunity to watch new-born turtles as well as some rare species of adult turtles including Olive Ridley, the Hawksbill, the Green Turtle, the Loggerhead and the Leatherback, swimming about the massive tanks as they beat their flippers against the water.

See detailed itinerary at Call of the wild