Fake wildlife jeep safaris and aggressive elephants scams
7 Answers from travellers
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.
Good to know. I will definitely stick to the official park entrances.
We fell for this. The jeep got stuck in the mud and a bull elephant trumpeted at us from 20 feet away. Absolutely terrifying.
Book your jeep through your hotel. They have trusted drivers who actually follow the park rules.
Also, you are contributing to human-elephant conflict because these jeeps destroy the buffer zone vegetation.
How much should an official jeep safari cost roughly
A half-day jeep costs about 15,000 to 20,000 LKR, plus the official park entrance tickets per person.
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