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Yala National Park
Udawalawe National Park
Bundala National Park
Wilpattu National Park
Minneriya National Park
Wasgamuwa National Park
Gal Oya National Park
Somawathiya Chaitiya National Park
Flood Plains National Park
Maduru Oya National Park
Lahugala Kitulana National Park
Horton Plains National Park
Kaudulla National Park
Kumana National Park (* Previously Yala East)
Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Peak Wilderness Area
Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe is on of the main habitats in Sri Lanka for Sri Lankan elephants which are easily seen in its open habitats. A herd of over 300 elephants is estimated to live in the park attracted mainly because of the Udawalawe reservoir. The park is also a sought after birdwatching site with birds such as the Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Red-faced Malkoha, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Brown-capped Babbler, and Sri Lanka Junglefowl among of the breeding resident birds. White Wagtail and Black-capped Kingfisher are rare migrant birds.
Udawalawe is on the boundary of Sri Lanka's wet and dry zones, with the Kalthota Range and Diyawini Falls in the north of the park and the outcrops of Bambaragala and Reminikotha within it. The park has an annual rainfall of around 60 inches most of which falls during the months of October to January - March to May. The average annual temperature is about 27–28 °C
Bundala National Park
The park is reknown as an important birdwatching area and is also classified as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It is an important migration wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka with over 200 species of birds, the most beautiful being the large flocks of the Greater Flamingo, which migrate in large flocks. Bundala was classified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1969 and then re-designated as a national park in January 1993. It is situated 245 kilometres south-east of Colombo.
Wilpattu National Park
(Willu-pattu; Land of Lakes) is the largest and one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka. Being in the north-west of the island it was closed from 1988 to 2003 and then sporadically closed until the end of the civil war in 2009 and reopened in March 2010. It is quite unique in that it has over 60 "Willus" (natural lakes) which are natural sand-rimmed water basins or tanks (reservoirs) that annually fill with rainwater. The park is located approximately 30 km west of Anuradhapura and approximately 180 km north of Colombo.
The park is 131, 693 hectares in size and is classified as one of the the top national parks in the world for its leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) population. The leopard population in the park is still not known as it has been left to itself for many years, however with the reopening of the park it is only a matter of time before it becomes one of the top eco-tourism destinations in the world for its unspoilt terrain and wildlife. It also has an extensive population of over 30 other mammals including elephants, deer, sloth bear, wild boar and crocodiles.
Minneriya National Park
The park is situated in the north-central province of Sri Lanka and is located approximately 180 kilometres from Colombo. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1938 and reclassified as a National Park in August 1997. The region is famous for the Minneriya tank which was built by King Mahasen in the third century AD.
The park is most famous for its large elephant population, with the current resident herd(s) estimated to be over 200+, however it is also estimated that numbers increase to over 500+ at certain times of the year. THe park is a dry season feeding ground for the the elephants nearby in the forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and the Trincomalee areas. It is also a bird watchers paradise and famous with over 150 species of birds and over 50 species of butterflies and reknown worldwide for its birdwatching areas with over 10 threatened migratory bird species in the park.
The park also has a population of endemic Sri Lankan monkeys, the Purple-faced Langur and the Toque Macaque. Sri Lankan Sambar Deer and Axis Deer plus the endangered Sri Lankan Leopard and Sri Lankan Sloth Bear are also present in the park.
"The Gathering"
From mid July until October the famous "elephant gathering" takes place at Minneriya where hundreds of elephants gather every afternoon to bathe in the lake and take a leisurly meal on the surrounding vegetation. This gathering often includes many herds, all coming together for drinking and bathing (an average full size elephant requires over 100 litres of water a day) and to rest in the heat of the dry season conditions. It is also an important social event where the gathering includes many elephant families and juveniles. "The Gathering" has become a major ecotourism event and is a unique 'one of a kind' experience.
Wasgamuwa National Park
The park is located approximately 226km from Colombo and was originally set up as a refuge for the displaced wild animals during the Mahaweli Dam Development Project in 1984, and was one of the four National Parks designated under the Project. It was originally set up as a nature reserve in 1938 then in early 1970 the area was upgraded to that of a nature reserve. The park is well known for its large herds of elephants and is also one of the most important bird watching areas in Sri Lanka. The parks name comes from the words "Walas Gamuwa", with "Walasa" being the Sinhala word for the Sloth bear and "Gamuwa" means wood. The ruins of Malagamuwa, Wilmitiya and Dasthota irrigation tanks and the Kalinga Yoda Ela canal - built by Parākramabāhu I are in the park.
Yudangana Pitiya has been identified as the purported battleground of the battle between King Dutthagamani and King Elara, with the grassland that King Dutthagamani's army supposed to have camped before the battle known as Kandauru Pitiya. The ruins of Chulangani chaitya (built by King Mahanaga) can also be seen in the national park. Artefacts that have been found in the ruins of the chaitya include a bowl used by King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha and various bronze statues that are now housed in the Yudangana vihara.
Gal Oya National Park
The Park was was established in 1954 as the primary catchment area for Senanayake Samudraya, the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka and is located approximately 315 km from Colombo. Senanayake Samudraya was built by damming the Gal Oya at Inginiyagala in 1950. The park is reknown for its large elephant herd but the Toque Monkey, Wild Boar, the Sri Lankan Axis Deer, Water Buffalo, Sri Lankan Sambar Deer, and the rare Sri Lanka Leopard and the Mugger Crocodile are also prevalent in the park.
The park also has three of the most important herbs for Ayurvedic medicine, Triphala: Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellirica and Emblica officinalis. The park also has a large area of Savanna grasslands known as "Thalawa" (Sinhalese) and mountainous grasslands known as "Pathana". Many thousands of pilgrims visit the Dighavapi stupa each year which is also situated in the area. The stupa was built in the 2nd century BC where Buddha is reputed to have meditated on his third visit to Sri Lanka.
Bird's Island in the reservoir is a famous island for bird watchers which is used by birds for nesting. Over 150 species of birds have been recorded in the Gal Oya area with the Lesser Adjutant, Spot-billed Pelican and Red-faced Malkoha some of the park's resident birds.
Somawathiya National Park
is between East Province and North-central Province in the deltoid plain of the Mahaweli river and is approximately 260 kilometres from Colombo. It was designated a sanctuary in 1966 and made a National Park in September 1986. It consists of a series of riverine villus and flood plains together with the nearby Flood Plains National Park and is known for its large concentration of elephants. The area has been quite heavily exploited through excessive agriculture and clearing but strict ecological policing is now enabling rapid regeneration because of the abundance of water and high carrying capacity of the villus. Both parks are also extremely important for migration and resident waterfowls.
Flood Plains National Park
The park was set up in August 1984 and is about 220 kilometres from Colombo. It is one of the four national parks created with the Mahaweli River development project and is especially important for the long time survival and growth of the elephant herds in the Mahaweli catchment area as it is a rich feeding area for elephants. It is also a major elephant corridor for the elephants migrating between Wasgamuwa and Somawathiya national parks.
The rich grasslands attract large numbers of animals and supports a higher level of animal and plant life than any other form of habitat within the Mahaweli development project area, with the flood plains having a plentiful supply of water and grasslands which is ideal for elephants. The elephant population in 2008 was estimated at over 100 with other animals in the park being the Jungle Cat, Rusty-spotted Cat, Jackal, Wild Boar, Indian Muntjac, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Water Buffalo and the rare Sri Lanka Leopard.
The park is also very important for bird life, in particular migratory birds. The rare species 'Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus' and a variety of other species inhabit the floodplains, and it is estimated that over 70 species of migratory birds winter in the swamps of the park.
Special Interest: SINHARAJA FOREST: (World Heritage Status)
Maduru Oya National Park
The park is located about 210 kilometres from Colombo and was first designated in November 1983 as a National Park. It was also established under the Mahaweli development project and is a catchment of the Maduru Oya Reservoir and protects the immediate catchments of the five reservoirs. It is a wildlife sanctuary particularly for elephants. The park's rich mix of fauna includes elephants, sloth bear, the endangered Sri Lanka leopard, water buffalo, jackal,toque monkey, spotted deer and sambar.
An ancient sluice on the old ruptured earthen bund of the Maduru Oya was discovered in the 1980s which was made up of stone slabs and bricks - about 67 metres in length. The upper sluice was built in two separate phases, the first phase dating to pre 6th century BC, with the lower sluice even older. Extensive and very old (pre 3rd century AD) historic ruins of shrines, temples, dagobas and statues can be found in nearby Henanigala, Kudawila, Gurukumbura, Ulketangoda, and Werapokuna.
The original indigenous Vedda people of Sri Lanka lived in the area before the park was designated. The Veddas are reputedly directly descended from King Vijaya and Queen Kuveni and were living in Sri Lanka long before the arrival of the first arrivals (Sinhalese) from India in approximately 543 BC. They are traditional hunters and gatherers and now increasingly reliant on small cultivation for their livelihood.
Lahugala Kitulana National Park
This park is on of the smallest in Sri Lanka and is located 320 kilometres from Colombo. It is however an important area for the elephants and also an important bird nesting area. The park includes the reservoirs of Lahugala, Kitulana and Sengamuwa which empty into the Heda Oya river. Originally ordained as a protected wildlife sanctuary in July 1966 it was then upgraded to National Park status in October 1980. .
The park is mainly used by elephants as a traditional feeding ground, however it also has a rich assortment of other native fauna including Sri Lankan Axis Deer, Sri Lankan Sambar Deer, Toque Macaque, Tufted Gray Langur, Wild boar, Indian Muntjac, Sloth Bear, Golden Jackal, Rusty-spotted Cat, and the endangered Sri Lanka Leopard. Currently poaching, logging, collection of wood for fire fuel and overgrazing are real and serious threats to the park.
Horton Plains National Park
Originally known as 'Maha Eliya Thenna', the park was renamed after Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton, the British governor of Ceylon (1831 to 1837). The area was made a National Park in March 1988 and is the highest park in Sri Lanka, encompassing a protected area in the central highlands covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. The park is nearby to the famous tea area of Nuwara Eliya (30 kilometres) at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 metres.
The park is extraordinarily rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. it is an extremely popular tourist destination with World's End (870 metres sheer drop) and Baker's Falls (20 metres) being the key attraction. The land area covered by Horton Plains is 3,160 hectares (12.2 sq mi). Horton Plains contains the most extensive area of cloud forest still existing in Sri Lanka. On July 2010, the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka which incorporates Horton Plains National Park, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary and Knuckles Mountain Range was included in the World Heritage List.
Large herds of Sri Lankan Sambar Deer are the main animal in the park, and the park is also a very significant bird area with many species only endemic to Sri Lanka and restricted to this area. The park is extremely rich in fauna with over 25 species of mammals, 85 species of birds, 9 species of reptiles and at least 8 species of amphibians. At this altitude and temperature the last elephants disappeared from the region in the late 1930's. Forest 'dieback' is one of the major threats to the park, with studies suggesting that it is in fact a natural phenomenon due to drought and global warming.
A subspecies of the Red Slender Loris, the Horton Plains Slender Loris ('Loris tardigradus nycticeboides') is found here and was only first photographed in 2010. It is considered one of the world's most endangered primates with an estimated 60 of these wonderful animals only left in the world.
Kaudulla National Park
The park is located 197 kilometres from Colombo and first designated as a national park in April 2002. It is a popular park being so close to Colombo and most importantly a major bird watching area. Historically the park was one of the 16 irrigation tanks built by King Mahasen, and like many of these ancient irrigation tanks it was allowed to fall into ruin but in this case it was reconstructed in 1959.
The area has an average annual rainfall of around 1,500–2,000 millimetres (59–79 in) including much rainfall from the north-east monsoon. Dry season is April to October and the rainy season November - March. With an abundance of food and water right throughout the year the park attracts a large number of herbivorous mammals (particularly elephants) to the park.
During the dry drought period the elephants move to the Minneriya tank to drink and feed, and then from the end of the dry season they move to the Kaudulla tank for more water and food. Despite the increasing encroachment by humans into the elephants territory the number of elephants is appearing to increase with 211 elephants counted in the area in 2008.
Sri Lankan Sambar Deer, Wild boar, Sri Lankan Axis Deer, the Sloth Bear and the endangered Sri Lankan Leopard are other mammals found in the park. Kaudulla National Park is also one of the sites in which the Gray Slender Loris is reportedly found in Sri Lanka. Large water birds such as the Lesser Adjutant and the Spot-billed Pelican also are resident at the Kaudulla tank.
Kumana National Park (Yala East)
Kumana National Park (previously known as Yala East as it is alongside Yala National Park) is about 400 kilometres from Colombo and very well known world-wide for its wonderful depth of bird life, in particular its extensive flocks of migrating wading birds and waterfowl. The park was closed from 1985 to 2003 because of the Civil War and also was badly affected by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Kumbukkan Oya forms the southern boundary of the national park, with over 18 lagoons and tanks supporting the wonderful and extensive birdlife in the park. The lagoons are quite shallow being only an average of less than 2 metres, and are subject to occasional flooding with seawater. The Kumana Bird Sanctuary (declared 1938) is also included within the park. The park is rated as one of the most significant and important bird nesting and breeding grounds in Sri Lanka with over 250 species of birds having been recorded in the park. In the April–July period tens of thousands of birds migrate to the Kumana swamp area. Rare species like the Lesser Adjutant, Eurasian Spoonbill, Black-necked Stork and the Great Thick-knee are known to also breed in the park.
The Kumana area is part of a very ancient civilization that dates back to before the 3rd century BC, with rock carvings dating back to the 1st and 2nd century BC having been found in the region.
Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Located in south-west Sri Lanka, Sinharaja is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of them are considered very rare. There is much endemic wildlife, especially birds, but the reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka's endemic species of mammals including leopards, spotted and fishing cats, sambar, barking deer, wild boar and langur monkeys and many kinds of insects and colourful butterflies, reptiles and rare amphibians.
Sinharaja is situated close to Ratnapura and is between the villages of Rakwana, Deniyaya and Matugama. Sinharaja forest reserve is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forest in Sri Lanka and indded in the world. It covers about 11,187 hectares from east to west. The length of the forest is about 21km and width from North to South is about 3.7km. It was declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in 1978, as representative of tropical humid evergreen forest eco-system in Sri Lanka and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of it's International Network of Biosphere reserves. It is also World Heritage Listed.
Peak Wilderness Area (Nuwara Region)
The Peak Wilderness Sanctuary is a tropical rain forest that covers over 224 square kilometers around the base of Adam's Peak (Sri Padra) mountain. Much of the huge original tropical forest was ruthlessly cut down during the British rule in the 1800s to make way for the great Tea estates that now are part of the Nuwara Eliya region. The remaining portion of the Peak Wilderness was declared a wildlife sanctuary on October 25, 1940.
The area varies from altitudes from 1000 to 7400 feet above sea level and has very different geographical formations and topography compared to the other natural reserves of the island. Bena Samanala (6579 ft), Dotalugala, Detanagala, are the main mountains. The area is also the source of the Kelani, Kalu and Walave rivers and many tributaries of the river Mahaweli. Spectacular waterfalls abound in the area such as Dotalu falls, Geradi falls, Galagama falls (650 ft), and Mapanana falls (325 ft).
Note that this is a true wilderness area and no tourist accommodation or facilities are available inside the area in order to preserve the forest. There is however no restriction on eco-tourism visitors entering the sanctuary after obtaining permission from the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Department who have total control of the area. Visiting the sanctuary during the wet season is extremey dangerous due to torrential and flash flooding.
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