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Fake wildlife jeep safaris and aggressive elephants scams

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O
Oliver B.•10330 rep•2

A guy in Habarana offered us a super cheap adventure jeep safari to see elephants but said it is not inside the official park Is this a scam

20
wildlifebudget-travelsafety

7 Answers from travellers

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Yes, this is a dangerous scam. They drive you into the unregulated buffer zones or farmlands outside Minneriya or Kaudulla where wild elephants roam freely. There are no DWC trackers, no park rules, and the drivers often act aggressively to get close to the animals to impress tourists. This causes the elephants extreme stress and leads to terrifying charges. Only enter official national parks through the main ticket gates.

28
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Dr. Nimal.•9200 rep•1

Good to know. I will definitely stick to the official park entrances.

50
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Oliver B.•10330 rep•2

We fell for this. The jeep got stuck in the mud and a bull elephant trumpeted at us from 20 feet away. Absolutely terrifying.

42
E
Emma L.•8975 rep•2

Book your jeep through your hotel. They have trusted drivers who actually follow the park rules.

41
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Emma L.•8975 rep•2

Also, you are contributing to human-elephant conflict because these jeeps destroy the buffer zone vegetation.

27
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Bhante S.•6520 rep•1

How much should an official jeep safari cost roughly

7
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Oliver B.•10330 rep•2

A half-day jeep costs about 15,000 to 20,000 LKR, plus the official park entrance tickets per person.

2
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Dr. Nimal.•9200 rep•1

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