Odel launches campaign to protect Yala wildlife

Sept 19, 2015 (LBO) - To encourage responsible behaviour during wildlife watching in Sri Lanka's Yala national park, ODEL plans to install signboards and launch a media campaign, the company said.





“Protecting the animals of Yala from irresponsible and ignorant visitors has become an urgent priority,” said Desiree Karunaratne, group marketing director of Softlogic Holdings, the parent company of the ODEL retail chain.

“But Yala is just the beginning of a larger, longer term commitment by ODEL to inculcate the true values of experiencing and appreciating Sri Lanka’s wildlife among visitors to nature reserves," she said. The erection of 4’ x 4’ signboards with guidelines at Yala will take place during the closure of the park from 7th September to 7th October.



Yala, which combines a strict nature reserve with a national park, was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1900 and declared a national park in 1938.



It is home to 44 varieties of mammals and 215 bird species, and has a leopard density that is higher than anywhere else on the planet, the statement said. Divided into five blocks, the park has a protected area of nearly 130,000 hectares of land consisting of light forest, scrub, grassland, tanks and lagoons.





Besides leopard, Yala is famous for presence of elephants, sloth bears, sambhur, jackals, spotted dear, peacocks, and crocodiles. ODEL will also launch a new collection of clothing, accessories and stationery linked to its ‘Luv SL’ label, and set aside part of the sales for the cause.