Minneriya Elephant Gathering

Sri Lanka is blessed by a plethora of National Parks and Protected Areas allowing visitors to marvel the wonders hidden in a tropical island surrounded by the Indian Ocean. With an abundance of wildlife including elephants, leopards, bears, birds and many more sea creatures and amphibians too, the best way to experience it all would be to book a safari. There are many wildlife safaris to choose from while the Minneriya Elephant Gathering is one of them with a very special outcome.

The Minneriya Elephant Gathering is an annual seasonal event that takes place within the borders of the Minneriya National park. This phenomenon as many wildlife enthusiasts call it, takes place during the dry season, the peak being from July to October where the elephants roaming around the Northern Province move through the nearby National parks in search of fresh grass and water. The elephants migrate to the Minneriya National Park mainly to enjoy the lush new grass of the lakebed that starts to emerge when the dry season begins and the waters of the reservoir nourishes the lands. The water of the Minneriya Tank is an added bonus to these gentle giants to quench their thirst.

The Elephant Gathering brings as many as 300 elephants or more towards the reservoir while the surrounding forests around the tank also help the elephants as a shelter from the heat during the dry season. When the sun is at its lowest, they usually emerge from the forests and head towards the reservoir making afternoon safaris the better option to view the gathering.