In 3rd century BCE, King Devanampiya Tissa, one of the earliest rulers of Sri Lanka, founded what is widely considered to be the world’s first wildlife refuge. Since then, this small nation has focused on continuing what King Tissa started, boasting 501 protected natural areas amounting to nearly 27% of the small island's land area. The Wanniya-laeto (Vedda) people are the original inhabitants of the island and their knowledge of these natural spaces is nothing short of astounding. The Wanniya-laeto people are Sri Lanka’s indigenous inhabitants with a history dating back to descendants of the island’s Neolithic community in 14,000 BC, or possibly earlier. With a name meaning forest dwellers, the Wanniya-laeto, were historically nomadic hunter-gatherers of the dry monsoon forest (wanni) and claim to have preserved their cultural memory since pre-historic times. These indigenous people are often referred to as Veddas (meaning hunters) because of their wild, disheveled appearance has...