Yala National Park is in the southeast region of Srilanka. It is located approximately 300 kilometers away from Colombo and takes 5 hours to reach by road. The park which covers 979 square kilometers is the second largest in the island.The park is best known for the wide range of wild animal species found here and is an important part of the ongoing conservation efforts towards the elephants, Srilankan leopards and aquatic birds. The park has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. The area in and around the park has been part of ancient civilizations . Two pilgrim sites, Sithulpahuwa and Magul Vihara, are also situated within the park.