Blocks 1 and 2 of Yala National Park will be temporarily closed from September 14, taking into consideration the heat stress experienced by animals and wildlife officers due to the prevailing high temperatures.
Speaking on Ada Derana’s ‘BIG FOCUS’ programme today (07), Additional Director General (Operations) of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Manjula Amararathna, stated that the prevailing hot weather conditions have severely affected animals due to both water scarcity and heat stress.
He further noted that the large number of safari jeeps operating inside the park under these conditions creates significant difficulties for wildlife officers in carrying out their duties.
Amararathna said that officials are also closely monitoring the situation in other arid areas of Sri Lanka, including Yala Blocks 1 and 2, as well as the Mannar area and the vicinity of Wilpattu National Park.
He added that steps would be taken to close relevant national parks when necessary or provide the required facilities to enable both animals and wildlife officers to function without being adversely affected by heat stress.
