Are there leeches in Udawalawe National Park?

Leeches are generally not a major concern in Udawalawe National Park because the area sits in a dry zone climate and the ground is more open, with broad grassland terrain.

In contrast to the wet zone rainforests of Sri Lanka, Udawalawe has an arid setting, which just does not allow large leech numbers to thrive. During a standard jeep safari, guests do not have to wear special leech socks, since everyone stays safely inside the vehicle most of the time. Any small leech presence would likely show up only along muddy margins, and then mainly during intense monsoon rains when the water expands.