Why Visit Udawalawe National Park?

Udawalawe National Park in southwest Sri Lanka is renowned for its wealth of faunal species and outstanding scenery. It is located in both the Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces just south of Sri Lanka's iconic tea-clad hills.

Encompassing the Udawalawe Reservoir along with much of its catchment area, the park covers just less than 31,000 hectares. The area was declared the 5^th National Park of Sri Lanka on the 30^th June 1972. Its dominant ecosystem is forest scattered with grasslands and thorny shrubs, though part of the park is a reclaimed tea estate! Tree species likely to be observed are Satin and Ebony among others.

On the wildlife side, the large herds of Asian elephants are the main drawcards, but populations of leopard, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, wild boar and water buffalo are gradually increasing. Other mammals found within the park include the endemic toque macaque, common langur, golden jackal, sloth bear and toddy cat.

The avifauna in the park is diverse, with birds of prey throughout and a wealth of waterbird species found on the Udawalawe reservoir, including the Indian cormorant and osprey.

It's an excellent spot to visit all year round, with a resident elephant population among other wildlife, meaning that you will rarely be disappointed in terms of wildlife viewings. There is also an excellent elephant orphan transit camp attached to the park, where four times a day you can observe the young elephants being bottle fed. This is a great initiative funded by the Born Free Foundation and involves elephants that have been orphaned or injured before 5 years of age. Once the orphans reach 5 years old, they are released back into the park to continue life in the wild, where they belong.

To visit Udawalawe, there are camping safari options that allow you to get a real in-depth view of the park and its animal inhabitants. There are also excellent hotel options close to the park.