COLOMBO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The waterholes and ponds in a key wildlife park in Sri Lanka have dried up due to the prevailing dry spell, compelling the authorities to transport water from outside, a wildlife conservator said on Tuesday.
Suranga Senanayake, warden of the Wilpattu National Park, told the media that all the water sources inside the park had dried up. He said steps had been taken to transport water from outside to fill up the waterholes and ponds for wild animals such as elephants, leopards and spotted deer.
"It is a matter of concern," he said.
Spanning around 131,690 hectares across Puttlam and Anuradhapura, the Wilpattu National Park is one of the largest and oldest national parks in the country.
The dry weather has hit Sri Lanka's north-central, northern, eastern and southern provinces, and it is expected to last till the end of September, according to the meteorology department. ■
