A Sri Lankan leopard stalking through short grass in Yala National Park, seen side on

Yala safari photo gallery: Taken from our own jeeps.

No stock photography and no borrowed leopards. Every frame below was made on a drive we ran, in the parks we work.

Sri Lankan leopards in Yala

Yala Block 1 has the highest density of leopards in Sri Lanka, and every leopard in this gallery was photographed from our jeeps — on rock outcrops, sand tracks, in trees and in the grass at first light. Sightings are frequent but never promised.

A Sri Lankan leopard standing on a granite rock outcrop in Yala National Park — Leopard on a granite outcrop, YalaSri Lankan Leopard

A Sri Lankan leopard crouching low in green undergrowth and staring straight at the camera in Yala — Eye contact from the undergrowthSri Lankan Leopard

A leopard sitting on a red sand track beside the forest in Yala National Park — Waiting on the red trackSri Lankan Leopard

A Sri Lankan leopard resting along a thick tree branch in Yala National Park — Resting up in the canopySri Lankan Leopard

A Sri Lankan leopard walking through dry grass at the edge of the scrub in Yala — On the move at first lightSri Lankan Leopard

A leopard crossing a sandy jeep track in front of the forest in Yala National Park — Crossing in front of the jeepSri Lankan Leopard

A Sri Lankan leopard standing on a sandy track in Yala and looking back over its shoulder — A look back from the trackSri Lankan Leopard

A leopard walking across a wide sand track through green forest in Yala National Park — Forest track, YalaSri Lankan Leopard

A leopard lying on a flat rock ledge in the shade of a granite boulder in Yala — Shade under the boulderSri Lankan Leopard

A Sri Lankan leopard resting on a rock slab among the granite outcrops of Yala National Park — Midday on the rocksSri Lankan Leopard

A leopard walking out of dry forest towards a jeep track in Yala National Park — Out of the dry forestSri Lankan Leopard

A Sri Lankan leopard lying stretched out in the grass beside a track in Yala — Stretched out by the trackSri Lankan Leopard

Close-up of a Sri Lankan leopard's face as it crouches in leaves in Yala National Park — Close enough to count the spotsSri Lankan Leopard

Wild elephants in Yala

Around 350 wild Asian elephants use Yala National Park, and we see them on almost every drive: family herds with calves at the waterholes, and lone bulls on the tracks.

Two wild elephants sheltering a young calf in a green clearing in Yala National Park — A family herd with a calfAsian Elephant

A wild elephant mother walking with her calf across a grassy clearing in Yala — Mother and calfAsian Elephant

Two wild elephants dusted with red earth standing at the forest edge in Yala National Park — Red dust, forest edgeAsian Elephant

A wild Asian elephant walking past scrub forest in Yala National Park — Close pass in the scrubAsian Elephant

A lone elephant drinking at a rock pool among the granite outcrops of Yala National Park — A rock pool in the dry seasonAsian Elephant

Birds of Yala

Yala is one of Sri Lanka's 70 Important Bird Areas with more than 215 recorded species. Storks, herons, hornbills, kingfishers and peafowl turn up on every drive, and the lily-covered tanks are the best place to look.

An Asian openbill stork wading and feeding in shallow water in Yala National Park — Asian openbill, feedingBirds

A Malabar pied hornbill perched on a curving branch in Yala National Park — Malabar pied hornbillBirds

A white-throated kingfisher perched on a fallen log in Yala National Park — White-throated kingfisherBirds

A male Indian peafowl with a long green train walking across open ground in Yala — Peacock on paradeBirds

A peahen walking across a sandy clearing beside a lake in Yala National Park — Peahen at the lake shoreBirds

A grey heron wading through a lily pond in Yala National Park — Grey heron among the liliesBirds

A young grey heron standing on a log in a lily-covered tank in Yala — Heron on a logBirds

An Asian openbill stork standing on one leg among water lilies in Yala National Park — Openbill on one legBirds

An Asian openbill stork and a grey heron wading together in a lily-covered tank in Yala — Openbill and heron share a tankBirds

A hawk-eagle perched on a dead branch above the forest in Yala National Park — Hawk-eagle watching the trackBirds

Crocodiles, buffalo and more

Yala has 44 mammal species and 47 reptiles. Mugger crocodiles, wild water buffalo, land monitors and black-naped hares are everyday sightings around the tanks and tracks.

A mugger crocodile basking on sand with its jaws wide open in Yala National Park — Mugger crocodile, jaws openCrocodiles

Wild water buffalo wallowing in a shallow lake in Yala National Park — Buffalo cooling offDeer & Buffalo

A wild water buffalo submerged up to its horns in a waterhole in Yala — Up to the hornsDeer & Buffalo

A herd of wild water buffalo resting in a muddy waterhole in Yala National Park — The afternoon wallowDeer & Buffalo

A land monitor lizard raising its head out of the grass in Yala National Park — Land monitor in the grassCrocodiles

A black-naped hare sitting at the edge of the scrub in Yala National Park — Black-naped harePrimates & Small Mammals

The park itself

Yala National Park is dry scrub forest, granite outcrops and shallow lakes on Sri Lanka's south-east coast. Our safaris start from Tissamaharama and enter through the Palatupana gate.

The Yala National Park sign in Sinhala, Tamil and English on a stone wall at the park entrance — The way in

A lake in Yala National Park with dead trees in the water and a granite outcrop on the horizon — Lake and outcrop, Yala

Bundala, Udawalawe and life on the jeep

We also drive Bundala, a Ramsar wetland 20 minutes from Tissamaharama known for its birds, and Udawalawe, the most reliable park in Sri Lanka for elephants. Every private jeep seats up to six people, and the full-day safari includes a Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch.

A peacock displaying its tail in the scrub at Bundala National Park — Display, Bundala

A stork wading in a lagoon at Bundala National Park — Bundala lagoon

A herd of elephants grazing on the grassland of Udawalawe National Park — Udawalawe grassland

A wild elephant in the grassland of Udawalawe National Park — Udawalawe, morning

Elephants crossing a jeep track in Yala National Park — The afternoon crossing

Elephants drinking at a waterhole in the dry season — Waterhole, dry season

A leopard resting on a rock in Yala National Park Block 1 — Block 1, first light

Two guests in a private safari jeep in Yala National Park — A private jeep for two

Guests standing with their safari driver beside the jeep after a game drive — After the drive

A safari jeep waiting in the dark before an early hotel pickup in Tissamaharama — 04:00, Tissamaharama

Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch served on a full day safari — Rice and curry, full day

A sandy track running through dry forest in Yala National Park — The road in

Your turn

Morning light, a private jeep, and time to wait.

Shared from US$26 per person, private jeep for up to six from US$60. Park entrance paid on site.

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