A rare sighting of a tiger named Ritta was reported today during Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s visit to the Yala Forest.
The Yala East National Park, also known as Kumana National Park, is home to the main male tiger Ritta, who is frequently observed resting on the walls of an old school building.
In the 1980s and 1990s, residents of Kumana village were evacuated due to LTTE-related conflicts. At that time, then-President Ranasinghe Premadasa allocated alternative lands in the Mahaweli region to these villagers.
Today, only the ruins of the old Kumana school remain, and it has now become Ritta’s temporary shelter during the rainy season.
