Bear season at Yala

Yala homes the only bear species found in the Sri Lankan wilderness, the Sri Lankan sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) which is a subspecies of sloth bear that’s native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan sloth bear population is highly threatened and consider as critically endangered due to habitat loss. The current bear population in the wild is a little higher than 500. Yala national park provides ample opportunities to see and photograph the Sri Lankan sloth bear in its native wild habitats. But the best chances to see bears are either during the rainy season or during the Palu season.

Sloth bears love to eat termites that live inside termite mounds. They have to break the tough solid structure to put its long mouth in and suck termites off the mound. After the rain, this becomes easier for bears as the mound gets soaked and weakens its structural integrity. If you’re visiting Yala, and want to see bears, your chances will increase if you go in the rainy season, however, that might not work for other animals, especially for birds and leopards.

The other season that increases bear sightings is the Palu season. Palu (Manilkara hexandra, also known as the ironwood) is a tree that produces berries during May, June, and July months. When the berries become ripe, it turns into bright yellow and gives a sweet milky taste. Ripe Palu berries attract not only local young children living in the dry zone but also sloth bears. During this period in Yala, sloth bears on Palu treetops are a fairly common sight that creates ample photo opportunities for visitors. When bears get addicted to Palu berries they sometimes stay on trees for hours moving from branch to branch sucking and chewing berries. If you maintain your distance and let them have their own time among their favorite fruit, you’ll find enough time to collect many memories of Sri Lankan sloth bears.

When bears eat too much Palu berries they get high from the sweetness and creates a whole mess around. Once I witnessed a bear on high couldn’t maintain it’s balancing on branches and fell on to the roof of a safari vehicle making a huge noise off the metallic roof and made visitors inside panicked. When bears get high, they are unpredictable and make funny moves and gestures that are lovely to watch.

If you’re a photographer or a sloth bear lover, now you know when to visit Yala and which areas to look for bear sightings, termite mounds, and Palu trees.

Note: All photographs are taken by the author. Please refrain from copying or publishing without the author’s proper consent.