Sri lanka animals What a fantastic place Sri Lanka is for seeing many of the wild animals of the Indian Sub-continent! This island-country off the southeastern coast of India is home to Asian elephants, leopards, monkeys, mongoose, sloth bears, jackals, Sambar and chital deer, water buffalo and wild boars. Reptiles and amphibians include crocodiles and venomous snakes such as kraits, vipers and cobras, plus the more friendly geckos, frogs, and lizards. Birdlife is extraordinary (and we've given birds their own web pages). Unfortunately, of the more than 80 species of mammals in Sri Lanka, at least 22 are threatened with extinction. Habitat destruction by deforestation and water pollution is the main threat to these animals. The on-going civil war has led to more destruction especially in the north where rebels have poached animals for food.