Sri Lanka is among the best place destinations in Asia for viewing wildlife. It's copious rainfall and notable range of altitude and terrain have spawned biodiversity typical of a much larger continent. Even the most casual visitor can expect to see wild elephants and leopards, along with sloth bears, flying foxes (or fruit bats), lorises, palm civets, mongooses, pangolins, mugger (or marsh) crocodiles, and water monitors. Bird life, too, is prolific, with over 400 species, 26 of which are endemic.

The secret of the island’s success as a wildlife haven is its numerous nature reserves here. Approximately 26% of the country is protected within national parks and sanctuaries.