How does drought impact animal behaviour in Udawalawe?

Severe drought in Udawalawe makes a lot of animals change their usual daily habits and begin gathering in larger numbers near the few permanent water points, especially around the Udawalawe Reservoir. With water becoming scarce, the competition for food and drinking water is rising quickly. Because of this, the wildlife becomes much easier to spot for visitors.

In the long stretches of dry weather, elephants can end up moving further than normal in search of enough fodder and water, at times even edging them closer to the park limits. The extreme heat also reshapes when animals are active, so many of them shift their peak activity to the cooler windows of early morning and late evening. During the bright midday sun, several species tend to look for dense shade, and staying in cover becomes the usual choice.