Sri Lanka has always been well known for its high level of biodiversity and wildlife. It is rated as one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hot spots (Conservation International) and has the distinction of having established possibly the world’s earliest wild life reserves, when King Devanapiyatissa created a sanctuary in 3rd century BC, in the south of the country (Yala), where animals would be protected. As identified, promulgated and administered by the Department of Wild Life Conservation (DWLC), Sri Lanka has currently 22 National Parks, which account for approximately 12 % of the land area of the entire country. These parks, and the rest of the country, harbour an astonishing range of fauna and flora, many of them endemic to Sri Lanka. This includes over 4,000 species of flowering plants, 245 species of butterfly, 85 species of freshwater fish, 207 species of reptiles, 108 species of amphibians, 492 species of birds, 95 terrestrial species of mammals and several thousand invertebrates. (IUCN, 2011) In addition, Sri Lanka boasts a wide and unique range of wild animal spectacles. It is the the only place in the world that one can see the largest mammals, the whale, and elephant together in one single country. It has the world’s largest gathering of Asian elephants at Minneriya, the largest concentration of leopards in the world in the area of Yala and is one of the best places in the world to see blue whales, off the coast of Mirrisa in the deep south. Not to be outdone by mammals, the avian aspects of Sri Lanka wildlife, though lesser known is also quite spectacular. Of the 400 odd species of birds, 32 are endemic to Sri Lanka, while the mixed bird species feeding flocks in the Sinharaja Virgin rainforest is said to be quite unique. Given all these superlatives and varied fauna, it is worthwhile now perhaps to analyse some wildlife related tourism numbers.