Udawalawe National Park

About Udawalawe National Park

Udawalawe National Park was created in 1972 to provide a sanctuary for wild animals displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir on the Walawe Ganga, as well as to protect the catchment of the reservoir. Udawalawe covers 30,821 hectares of land and lies on the boundary of Sri Lanka's wet and dry zones.

The park is mainly thorny-shrub jungle with grasslands. The savannah grasslands are dominated by Mana, Illuk and pohon. There are remnants of the Teak plantations that were planted during the time the Uda Walawe Reservoir was built.

Park Highlights

• Over 250 permanent resident elephants
• Endemic birds like Sri Lanka Spurfowl and Red-faced Malkoha
• Various species of deer and wild cats
• 30 species of snakes and many reptiles
• Over 135 species of butterflies
• Diverse ecosystem with varied flora