Minneriya National Park is the site of one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in Asia, the annual Gathering, during which hundreds of wild Asian elephants converge on the shores of the Minneriya Tank between July and October as the dry season draws down the water levels. During peak season, it is not unusual to see four or five hundred elephants gathered on the vast grassy plains around the reservoir, a sight of staggering scale and power. The park is also rich in birdlife, with painted storks, pelicans, cormorants and kingfishers crowding the water’s edge alongside the elephants.