Minneriya

Minneriya, in the Cultural Triangle, is famous for one of Asia's greatest wildlife spectacles: 'The Gathering', when hundreds of wild elephants converge on the receding shores of its ancient reservoir during the dry months from roughly July to October. It is among the largest seasonal congregations of Asian elephants anywhere on earth. The tank, built by King Mahasen in the third century, draws the herds to graze the fresh grass exposed by the falling water, alongside flocks of pelicans, painted storks and other waterbirds. The park pairs naturally with the nearby ruins and rock fortresses of the Triangle, and shares its elephants with the neighbouring Kaudulla and Hurulu parks.