Around 14 per cent of Sri Lanka’s total land area is dedicated to wildlife protected areas, which includes more than 20 national parks. Mayuri Wijesinghe, professor, University of Colombo“The boundaries of most nature reserves and national parks were demarcated according to the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO) No. A 2024 audit report that evaluated grassland conservation in Sri Lanka’s national parks showed an increased threat to grasslands. Several other factors contributed to the loss of grasslands within national parks, the report found, including the spread of “invasive alien species,” illegal cultivation and settlements, loss of food fer herbivores due to “unauthorized entry of cattle” into national parks and maintenance of unauthorized cattle ranches in national parks. Sri Lanka’s national parks and natural attractions are major drivers of tourism revenue as people come to see cornerstone species.