Picture this: You take the early morning safari jeep to the vast plains of the Minneriya National Park, Sri Lanka. There, you sit and take in the beauty of the landscape as the sun slowly creeps up, dawning a new day.
And that is when you see it. One by one, elephants slowly make their way out of the shady trees and out onto the plains towards the water, glistening under what is left of the afternoon sun. Seemingly from every direction these magnificent animals converge. Different herds travelling together as one, with just a single goal in mind: water.
There is only one place in Sri Lanka that grants you this view. Minneriya National Park is home to the world’s largest known gathering of Asian elephants. During this period, herds of up to 350 elephants are seen at the 8,890-hectare park within a few square kilometers of the Minneriya Tank.
In August and September each year, during the dry season, wild elephants migrate from Wasgamuwa National Park to Minneriya National Park in search of food and shelter. Tourists visit Minneriya National Park largely because of elephants, especially in the dry season.
The dry season in Sri Lanka means decreased water-supplies for these massive mammals. They come from far and wide to drink from the Minneriya tank, a man-made water-source that is reliable each year, keeping them coming back. Not only can they find drinking water here, but as the water in the tank recedes it exposes fresh, green shoots of grass on which they can graze. A much tastier treat than dry scrubland!
Around the tank there are tall shrubs and forest that provide ample shelter for the elephants during the hot days. When the sun is setting, they begin to emerge, starting off with one or two, building up to 300 at peak times. Here they graze, drink, play and even find mates and socialise.
To see ‘The Gathering’ you will need to head to Minneriya National Park and you easily tailor this into your Sri Lanka safari.
How?
A visitor centre near the entrance sells tickets and has a few exhibits about the park’s natural history. The initial 40-minute drive (along a poor dirt road) into the heart of the park is through dense forest, where wildlife sightings are rare. But then the landscape opens up dramatically, and the views across the tank are superb. Early mornings are generally best for birds and late afternoon for elephants.
Minneriya National Park has no accommodation facilities nearby. But the cities close to Minneriya National Park- Habarana, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Giritale- are full with luxury hotels and lodges.
The elephants are active as the sun is going down, meaning you can explore the park in the day in search of other wildlife before settling into a comfy spot to watch their antics in the late afternoon.
Be sure to charge up all recording and photos devices to capture the magnificent moments in person.
Photo by Udara Karunarathna on Unsplash
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