Yala National Park wildlife, on the morning we book, is a short list from a private jeep. The park about page, checked 22 September 2026, counts 44 mammal varieties and 215 bird species, and names leopard, elephant, sloth bear, sambar, jackal, spotted deer, peacock, and crocodile. That count is a park inventory. It is not a promise that any one of those animals will be on your track.
- Leopard, elephant, sloth bear, sambar, jackal, spotted deer, peacock, and crocodile are the residents that page names.
- Palatupana and Katagamuwa open Block 1 when it is open. Galge opens Blocks 5 and 6.
- From 14 September to 15 October 2026, Blocks 1 and 2 are closed, so the morning jeep uses Galge.
- We collect Tissamaharama, Kirinda, Palatupana, and Kataragama at 5:30 AM. A coast hotel is a separate quote, with no published departure clock.
- A half-day private jeep starts from USD 57 per person in a group of six, with park fees included. A sighting is not part of that price.
Tickets, gates, and the wider plan sit in the complete Yala tour guide. How a leopard morning works, and why a cat is not a booking term, is on leopard sightings in Sri Lanka.
On this page
- Animals the about page names
- Birds, and the rest of the count
- Stay on the track
- Which boom the list uses
- Clocks for four towns
- What the jeep price covers
- If elephants are the goal
- FAQ
Animals the about page names
The morning brief uses the eight residents named on the about page. The other mammal varieties in the count of 44 are still in the park. They are not a second checklist we read at the hotel door. A morning of spotted deer, peacocks, and one tank is still a completed drive.
| Animal | Named on the about page | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Leopard | Yes | Stop on the track. A sighting is not part of the quote |
| Elephant | Yes | Stay in the jeep. No feeding and no ride |
| Sloth bear | Yes | Possible in dry scrub. Not every morning |
| Sambar | Yes | We stop when one is on the road |
| Spotted deer | Yes | We stop. Deer on the track are part of the list |
| Jackal | Yes | We stop if one is on the road edge. We do not follow it off the track |
| Peacock | Yes | Named with the residents. We point it out from the jeep |
| Crocodile | Yes | We stop at a tank and stay in the jeep |
A bear, a leopard, or a crocodile is not a line the tracker owes you. If the animal is off the designated road, the sighting ends there.
Birds, and the rest of the count
The same about page counts 215 bird species. Peacock is the bird it names in the famous-resident line. The other species are a birding brief, not the 5:30 AM list. Tell us if you want time at a tank for water birds. We will not pretend the dawn jeep is a full bird survey.
Bring binoculars if birds matter to you. Keep the phone silent. The visitor rules below also ban flash. A bird on a nest is a reason to hold the jeep still, not a reason to step out.
Stay on the track
The park visitor guide, checked 22 September 2026, asks visitors to stay on designated routes, keep the phone silent, skip flash, and not honk. Do not feed animals, litter, or pick up feathers, stones, or anything else. Leave before the 6:00 PM close. In an emergency, stay in the jeep and follow the tracker. Do not leave the vehicle to finish a photograph.
You cannot self-drive a rental car into the blocks. Our jeep is private, for your group, up to six people. The tracker sits with the driver. You choose the date and the hotel. You do not choose a chase, a bait, or a stop off the road.
There is no elephant ride and no feeding stop on this booking. An elephant that walks into the grass is still a sighting. Walking after it is not.
Which boom the list uses
A zone is not a gate. Block 1 is entered at Palatupana or at Katagamuwa. Block 2 has limited public access and closes with Block 1 during the 2026 rest. Blocks 3 and 4 are not a jeep we sell. Galge opens Blocks 5 and 6.
The park homepage, checked 22 September 2026, closes Blocks 1 and 2 from 14 September to 15 October 2026. Blocks 3, 4, 5, and 6 remain open on that notice. The closure is a drought rest. During those dates the morning list uses Galge. When Block 1 is open, a Tissamaharama hotel uses Palatupana, and a Kataragama hotel uses Katagamuwa.
| Gate | From Kataragama | Block | When we use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palatupana | 41 km | Block 1 | Default morning when Block 1 is open, from a Tissa base |
| Katagamuwa | 14 km | Block 1 | A Kataragama hotel, when Block 1 is open |
| Galge | 30 km | Blocks 5 and 6 | 14 September to 15 October 2026, and when Block 1 is shut |
Those kilometres start in Kataragama. They are not a drive from a coast hotel. From a Tissamaharama base, Palatupana is about 20 to 25 minutes. From that same Tissa base, Galge adds about 20 to 30 minutes compared with Palatupana. The gate map is on the Yala gate location map.
We do not rank months on this page. The about page and the homepage table name different visit windows, so a month is not a sighting plan. Check is Yala open in September for the rest, and send the date so we can name the boom before you pay the deposit.
Clocks for four towns
Park hours are 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. We collect hotels in Tissamaharama, Kirinda, Palatupana, and Kataragama at 5:30 AM, so the jeep is at the boom for the opening. The morning drive inside the park runs to about 10:30 AM. An extended morning runs to about 12:30 PM. An afternoon jeep runs from about 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM. A full day runs from the 5:30 AM collection until 6:00 PM.
Those clocks belong to the four towns. A hotel in Galle, Unawatuna, Tangalle, Ella, or Bentota is a quoted transfer, and this page does not print a departure for it. Afternoon entry, inside the park from about 1:30 PM, is often the easier sleep from the coast. Name the hotel and we will say whether that window is realistic.
| Where you sleep | Clock we publish | Inside the park |
|---|---|---|
| Tissamaharama, Kirinda, Palatupana, Kataragama | 5:30 AM collection | Morning from 6:00 AM to about 10:30 AM |
| Same four towns, extended morning | 5:30 AM collection | Until about 12:30 PM |
| Same four towns, afternoon | No 5:30 AM door | About 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM |
| A coast or hill hotel | Quoted with the hotel name | Same park hours. The car time is separate |
What the jeep price covers
Our jeep is private and it is not a self-drive. A half-day starts from USD 57 per person in a group of six, with park fees included. A full day starts from USD 72 on the same basis. A USD 30 deposit holds the jeep. Children aged 6 to 12 pay a lower rate. Children under six are usually free. Bring passports. The room is a separate bill.
The park jeep hire page is a different bill. Tickets are not included. A private Toyota 4×4, up to six people, is LKR 21,450 for a Block 1 half-day at Palatupana or Katagamuwa, and LKR 31,350 for a full day. Galge, for Blocks 5 and 6, is LKR 23,100 half-day and LKR 32,900 full-day. Tissamaharama and Kirinda pickup is included on that hire page. Other pickups are on request. Prices checked 22 September 2026.
Foreign adult permits start at about USD 25 before service charges and VAT. Locals and SAARC sit on different bands. The bands are on the entrance fee guide. Our package puts the permit inside the jeep price. The full split of jeep, ticket, and deposit is on the Yala safari price guide.
If elephants are the goal
An elephant on a Yala morning is part of the named list. A guest who wants herds, and does not need the leopard chance, should say so before we confirm Palatupana or Galge. Udawalawe is a different park and a different ticket. This page does not print an elephant count for either park. The comparison is on Yala vs Udawalawe.
A shared jeep is a different product. The quote here is one private jeep. You do not share the tracker with another group that wants a different gate.
FAQ
What animals are on the Yala National Park wildlife list?
The about page, checked 22 September 2026, counts 44 mammal varieties and 215 bird species. The residents it names are leopard, elephant, sloth bear, sambar, jackal, spotted deer, peacock, and crocodile. Peacock is a bird and crocodile is a reptile, so they sit outside the mammal count. The morning brief uses the named residents. It does not promise the rest of the inventory.
Is a leopard included in the booking?
No. The jeep, the tracker, and the park fee are the booking. A leopard is not a line on the quote. Read the leopard page before you treat a morning as a cat plan.
Which gate should I use?
Palatupana from Tissamaharama, or Katagamuwa from Kataragama, when Block 1 is open. From 14 September to 15 October 2026 the morning uses Galge. We do not sell Blocks 3 or 4.
What time do you collect the hotel?
5:30 AM in Tissamaharama, Kirinda, Palatupana, and Kataragama, for a 6:00 AM opening. We do not print a departure clock for a coast or hill hotel. That time is part of the quote once we have the hotel name.
Can I leave the jeep for a photograph?
No. Stay on the track and in the jeep. Do not feed an elephant, follow a bear into the scrub, or step out at a tank for a crocodile. The visitor guide asks you to leave the animals alone and to be out before closing.
Book the jeep on Yala safari tours and send the date, the hotel name, and the passport names. The deposit is USD 30, and we confirm the boom before we take it.