10 animals to see on Holiday in Sri Lanka.
10 Animals To See On Holiday In Sri Lanka at GlenMyu Estate.
10 Animals to see on holiday in Sri Lanka at GlenMyu Estate.
Not the usual elephants, leopards and crocodiles you see on safari. But they are a wonderful sight at Yala, Udawalawe, Minneriya, Wilpattu or one of the other parks. (I haven’t been lucky enough to see a leopard myself.
But the sun must have been shining on lots of our guests at GlenMyu Estate as they show me their great leopard photos!
Some you will definitely see, some you will maybe see and others you will be lucky to see!
Definitely.
Animals that you will definitely see at GlenMyu Estate.
1. Our rescue dogs.
We have several rescue dogs at GlenMyu Estate.Â
Although we did not plan to have dogs, we appear to have gathered a few. My wife and I blame our first dog, Clove, for our collection. If Clove had not been such a nice, loving character then we may have been more reluctant to take on more rescue dogs.
I have finally put my foot down and we are at our maximum number of pups at GlenMyu Estate.Â
2. Animals you will see on holiday in Sri Lanka - Our rescue chickens.
We have rescue dogs and now we have rescue chickens!
Again, we never planned to have chickens.
This situation changed when one of our acquaintances could not afford to feed his chickens when the financial crisis hot Sri Lanka. The cost of chicken layers feed was either not available or exorbitantly expensive.Â
We decided to take them on.
The chickens were being kept in a shed and did not have the freedom to roam and forage.
At GlenMyu Estate we have five acres of land.Â
We decided to buy the chickens and create a safe space for them to live. The plan was for the chickens to forage around the estate and we would not have the cost of feed. We were pleased that the chickens settled in well and although they had not been conditioned to forage, those instincts kicked in quite quickly.Â
You live and learn and after we lost a few chickens to Mongoose and Eagles, we increased their security. They now have a bespoke house in which to live. Â The coop is fenced off with chicken wire which helps fend off predators. We even have a fishing net above the coop to stop the eagles flying in.
One of our staff looks after the chickens when they are out of the coop foraging. It makes the eggs that we get very expensive, but they are delicious. Despite losing a few chickens the numbers have increased as we get new chicks every so often.
Despite the cost we are happy that we have provided these rescue chickens with a good place for them to live.
3. Ducks foraging around the five acre estate.
The ducks have been at GlenMyu Estate for a longer period than the chickens. Ru wanted to get some ducks as her birthday present, so off we went.Â
The initial four ducks have multiplied up to around twenty. I was getting worried that they would keep on multiplying and we would have created a problem.
The duckling production has slowed so we appear to have a manageable number at this time.Â
I really enjoy watching the ducks forage around the estate and swim in the various ponds and streams around the estate.
4. Maali, our rescue cow.
We have a rescue cow called Maali. She arrived at GlenMyu Estate in December 2022. She is an important part of life at GlenMyu Estate and has settled in well. Maali grazes in the land and provide good nutrition for our garden. She adds to the landscape and her character has developed since she has been at the estate and she provides us with lots of laughs and entertainment.
You can read more about Maali in our articles “We got a cow” and “The cow – a year on”.
Maybe/probably
Animals that you will probably see at GlenMyu Estate.
5. Monkeys - Toque Macaues or Tufted Grey Langurs.
Toque macaques are found only in Sri Lanka
They are regular visitors to the trees at GlenMyu Estate and forage on leaves and any fruits that they can get without being disturbed by our dogs.
You can read more about Toque macaques at NePrimate Conservacy.
Tufted Grey Langurs also visit the trees at the estate quite often, but less than the Macaques.Â
They mainly eat the leaves on the trees and sometimes are seen bounding over the floor playing or getting to a new safe spot. Â Read more about Tufted Grey Langurs here.Â
6. Flameback Woodpeckers.
The Red-backed flameback, Lesser Sri Lanka flameback, Sri Lanka red-backed woodpecker or Ceylon red-backed woodpecker  are endemic to Sri Lanka.
They live to eat the ripe Jackfruit from our trees.
7. Black Eagles.
We regularly hear the screech of the Black eagle as it circles around the hills near GlenMyu Estate.Â
Sometimes there are two or three in the air circling, searching for food.Â
When we hear the screeches we run to protect our ducks and chickens.
Only if you are lucky!
Animals that you will might see, if you are lucky, at GlenMyu Estate.
8. Animals you may see on holiday in Sri Lanka - Porcupines.
We do have porcupines that come to the land and dig up some of our young coconut trees and other roots. You can read more about porcupines in the following Daily News article “Pangolins and Porcupines”.
We have seen they in our vegetable garden occasionally but they scatter away too fast t get a photo.
9. A Giant squirrel.
A don’t have a good photo of a giant squirrel just yet, however you can see what they look like in the following link to Animal Bio.
They normally like to spend their time in more wooded areas and we do not have sufficient tree cover at the moment. Â Our neighbours have created a forest and they have plenty of visits from Giant Squirrels.
Our neighbours have difficulty in getting a harvest from the crops that they plant because of the Giant Squirrels, so we are happy that it is only an occasional visitor.
10. Barking Deer.
You will be lucky to spot a Barking Deer or Mouse Deer at GlenMyu Estate.
This picture was taken on  a long lens as it was eating grass at the far end of the estate. As soon as the dogs are aware that the deer is on the land, they bark, and the deer runs off to safety.
And too many more to mention!
Of course, there are may more animals to see on holiday in Sri Lanka.
I could have mentioned the snakes. Occasionally we see a Cobra when it come out to bathe in the sun or forage for food.
However we regularly see the rat snake. (don’t worry, it’s not venomous).
Hopefully we don’t see the Mongoose. They have been successful in having some of our ducks for lunch!
There is a vast array of birds that visit the estate and too many for a list of ten. We regularly have birdwatching sessions with our neighbours and are ticking off the birds that we spot.Â
Bats fly around the estate when the sun goes down.
We have lots of insects coming to the estate. The Christmas Fly is a pain when it comes but the frogs, geckos and birds have a feast.Â
10 Animals to see on holiday in Sri Lanka at GlenMyu Estate -Summary
- Our rescue dogs.
- Our rescue chickens.
- Ducks foraging around the five acre estate.
- Maali, our rescue cow.
- Monkeys – Toque Macaues or Tufted Grey Langurs.
- Flameback Woodpeckers.
- Black Eagles.
- Porcupines.
- A giant squirrel.
- Barking Deer.
Stay at GlenMyu Estate and see the animals that visit the land.
A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.
We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.
The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,
GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.
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