The Minneriya National Park first began its operations in 1938 as a Wildlife Sanctuary, and later in 1997, it was designated as a national park. Situated in the dry zone, the park receives between just 1500 - 2000 millimeters of annual rainfall. Yet, the area is rich with wildlife due to the clean drinking water and green pastures provided by the Minneriya Tank. This tank was built in the 3rd century AD by an ancient king named Mahasena using the waters of the Amban River and the Elahera Canal. The park has many habitat regions: montane forests, scrublands, abandoned farmlands, grasslands, rocky outcrops, and wetlands. The wildlife in the park includes 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies.