Srilanka Biodiversity

SRI LANKA:  A BIODIVERSITY JEWEL 

How many destinations in the world allow a visitor to snorkel by day off golden-sand beaches and then search by nightfall for leopards? Sri Lanka must surely be once of the very few, with a breathtaking array of landscapes and wildlife packed into its relatively small area. 

At around 66,000km2, Sri Lanka is only about half the size of England. Yet this small island confounds the usual norms of biogeography by being home to a wealth of large mammals. It is, for instance, the best place in Asia to see the continent's largest terrestrial mammal, the Asian elephant, with up to 300 gathering annually around the receding shores of the Minneriya National Park. It also offers that ultimate ecotourism trump card, the leopard. In fact Yala National Park has one of the highest densities of this elusive animal anywhere in the world, with the combination of the open terrain and the cat's confidence as top island predator making for some fine leopard viewing. 

The island also has among the world's highest species density for other faunal groups, including reptiles, birds amphibians. Tree frogs, for instance, are most associated with Costa Rica. research suggests that Sri Lanka may yet emerge as the frog capita} of e: 'I*his is due to a prolific species radiation, whereby the diversity of avg" niches has allowed certain species to evolve into many others. .1 _ that cloak the island's mountainous core harbor other unique anuna:. . as (he dwarf lizard, which has a prehensile tail and gives birth to live young. Inore species doubtless await discovery in the richly biodiversity rainforests oi island's southwest. 

The attractions of Sri Lanka's biodiversity and compact size are supported by its good tourist infrastructure, with excellent hotels, extensive roads, and widely spoken English. Many top cultural sites are also good for ecotourists, with archaeological reserves doubling up as nature reserves — take the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa, among whose ancient stupas and sublime stone sculptures, birders can see more than a hundred species in a day. This combination of culture, nature and friendly people justifies Sri Lanka's fast-growing reputation as one of Asia's very best ecotourism destinations. 

Sadly Sri Lanka has all too often hits the headlines for the wrong reasons — principally the protracted armed struggle between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ('Tamil Tigers') and the government. Today, however, both parties continue to re-affirm their commitment to a ceasefire signed in 2003. Sporadic fighting continues in a few places, but the problem areas lie mainly in the north and east and have never been on wildlife itineraries. Even when a situation of open conflict existed, wildlife enthusiasts continued to travel safely to the rich wildlife areas in the south-west, which lie far from the troubles. It is hoped that mounting international pressure will force both parties to broker a permanent peace. But 2009 End of Civil war. Now is everything peace full.

The Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 also took a heavy toll on Sri Lanka, leaving 35 000 dead. However, the environmental damage was largely limited to a narrow coastal strip extending no more than 100m inland, except at lagoons and estuaries. The coastal environment bounced back very quickly and within a couple of years there were few physical signs left of the devastation. Sadly, many families will continue to endure the emotional trauma lost lives and livelihoods. By visiting Sri Lanka as a responsible ecotourism, you oe .helping to support and rebuild these communities.