MINNERIYA

Located in the north central province of Sri Lanka, this enclosure was declared around the ancient Minnerya reservoir, which was built in the third century AD. This reservoir, fed mainly by the Amban River and Elahera canal, supports the local ecosystem and is a feeding ground for herds of elephants during the dry season in August and September. The vegetation here varies from forests to grasslands to marshes, and this diversity allows Minnerya to support several exotic species of mammals.