Yala national park is one of the most visited National Parks in Sri Lanka. The park is a wildlife sanctuary, however some areas of the park is open to public visit.  The park is visited for the different species of birds, wild animals, sloth bears, sambars, peacocks, spotted dears, leopards, elephants and aquatic birds. The best time to visit Yala is between February and July, since the water levels will be low which encourages animals to come in to the open.