| Wilpattu National Park Location 180km North of Colombo Area 1,316.671km2 (508 sq miles) Best Time to Visit Throughout the year, But February to October is the prime time Open hours 6am to 6pm Entry Points Hunuwilgama Entrance Popular Animals can see elephants, sloth bear, leopards, water buffalo, sambhur, spotted deer, mongoose, land monitors, crocodiles, jackals Popular birds can see painted stork, the open bill, little cormorant, Sri Lanka junglefowl, owls, eagles, garganey, gulls, terns, kites buzzards, spoonbill, ibis, egrets, heron Remarks Largest and one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka established in 1938 |
| Yala National Park (Ruhuna) Location 260km South East of Colombo Area 979km2 (378 sq miles) Best Time to Visit Throughout the year. Due to the droughts the park used to be closed to tourists from September to mid October annually Open hours 6am to 6pm Entry Points Palatupana , Katagamuwa , Galge Popular Animals can see elephants, sloth bear, leopards, water buffalo, sambhur, spotted deer, mongoose, land monitors, crocodiles, jackals Popular birds can see grey hornbill, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, babbler, bulbul, painted stork, the open bill, little cormorant, Sri Lanka junglefowl, owls, eagles, garganey, gulls, terns, kites buzzards, spoonbill, ibis, egrets, heron Remarks Yala was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1900 was named a national park in 1938. It has a variety of eco sysyems. |
| Bundala National Park Location 250km Southeast of Colombo Area 33.39km2 Best Time to Visit December to April is the peak time Open hours 6am to 6pm Entry Points Colombo – Tissamaharama Road, 16km from Hambantota Popular Animals can see elephants, sloth bear, leopards, water buffalo, sambhur, spotted deer, mongoose, land monitors, crocodiles, jackals, fising cat, wild boar, mouse deer, porcupine etc Popular birds can see Black-necked Stork and Great Thick-knee, Blue-face malkoha, red shank, bee-eaters, grey hornbill, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, babbler, bulbul, painted stork, the open bill, little cormorant, Sri Lanka junglefowl, owls, eagles, garganey, gulls, terns, kites buzzards, spoonbill, ibis, egrets, heron Remarks Bundala National Park is an internationally important wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka. Bundala harbors 197 species of birds, the highlight being the greater flamingo, which migrate in large flocks. Bundala was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1969 and redesignated to a national park on 4 January 1993. In 1991 Bundala became the first wetland to be declared as a Ramsar site in Sri Lanka. In 2005 the national park was designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the fourth biosphere reserve in Sri Lanka. |
| Udawalawe National Park Location 170km from Colombo Area 308km2 (30,821 ha) Best Time to Visit Throughout the year Open hours 6am to 6pm Entry Points Near 11km post between Timbolketiya and Tanamanwila on Pelmadulla-Timbolketiya A18 road. Popular Animals can see Open graddland of Udawalawe is undoubtedly the best place in Sri Lanka to see wild Asian Elephants, Apart from this you can see spotted deer, mongoose, land monitors, crocodiles, Jackals, water buffalo, tortoise, etc Popular birds can see Ceylon Junglefowl, Ceylon spurfowl, Ceylon green pigeon, painted stork, the open bill, little cormorant, Sri Lanka junglefowl, owls, eagles, garganey, gulls, terns, kites buzzards, spoonbill, ibis, egrets, heron Remarks Park was designated and established as the fifth national park of Sri Lanka on the 30th of June, 1972. Species recorded from the park include 94 plants, 21 amphibians, 33 reptiles, 184 birds (33 of which are migratory), and 43 mammals. Additionally 135 species of butterflies are found here. |
| Minneriya National Park Location 187km from Colombo Area 89km2 (8,889 ha) Best Time to Visit Throughout the year, but the best months to visit are from July to September when large herds can be witnessed gathering Open hours 6am to 6pm Entry Points on the Habarana–Polonnaruwa Road Popular Animals can see Elephants, Sambar deer, Sri Lankan axis deer, Leopards, sloth bear, Gray slender Loris, Purple-faced langur and toque macaque, Crocodiles, water buffalo Popular birds can see painted stork, the open bill, little cormorant, Sri Lanka junglefowl, owls, eagles, garganey, gulls, terns, kites buzzards, spoonbill, ibis, egrets, heron, Bee-eaters Remarks The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938. The national park’s faunal species include 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies. Large numbers of Sri Lankan elephants are attracted to grass fields on the edges of the reservoir during the dry season.[1] The Minneriya tank contributes to sustain a large herd. Elephants gathered here is numbering around 150–200. |
| Kaudulla National Park Location 202km from Colombo Area 69km2 (6,900 ha) Best Time to Visit Between August and December Open hours 6am to 6pm Entry Points Colombo – Trincomalee main Road. The Entrance to Kaudulla is 22km north of the village of Habarana Popular Animals can see Elephants, sambar deer, Sri Lankan axis deer, leopards, mouse dear, wild boar, sloth bear, gray slender Loris, purple-faced langur and toque macaque, crocodiles, water buffalo, albino axis deer Popular birds can see painted stork, the open bill, little cormorant, Sri Lanka junglefowl, owls, eagles, garganey, gulls, terns, kites buzzards, spoonbill, ibis, egrets, heron, bee-eaters Remarks It was designated a national park on April 1, 2002 becoming the 15th such area on the island. The faunal species recorded in the park include 24 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 160 species of bird. Around the month of September the elephants move to the Kaudulla tank in search of more water and food In the drought period. |
| Hurulu Forest Reserve (Eco Park) Location 202km from Colombo Area 25km2 Best Time to Visit When Kaudulla and Minneriya National Parks are not accessible due to reservoir overflow Open hours 7am to 6pm Entry Points Colombo – Trincomalee main Road. The Entrance is 3.6km north of the village of Habarana between the 116th and 117th km post. Popular Animals can see Elephants, Sri Lankan jungle fowl, The indian star tortoise, rusty sportted cat Popular birds can see Crested serpent eagle, the pompadour green pigeon, etc Remarks Hurulu Forest Reserve of Sri Lanka was designated as a biosphere reserve in January 1977. |
| Kumana National Park (Yala East) Location 396km from Colombo Area 181km2 (35,664 ha) Best Time to Visit Throughout the year, but the best months to visit are from April – August. This period near 255 species of birds migrate to the Kumana Open hours 6am to 6pm Entry Points The park lies on the southeast coast in the Eastern province, 7 miles/12 km south of Arugam Bay, and is accessible from the Wellawaya – Pottuvil road. From Pottuvil, you need to travel across Panama, an ancient Sinhalese village amidst the elephant infested jungle. Close to the park entrance lies Okanda Devalaya, Okanda ( 22km south of Panama) Popular Animals can see Elephants, leopards. jackal, crocodile, turtles, european otter, fishing cat, spotted deer, mongoose, land monitors, crocodiles, Jackals, water buffalo, tortoise, etc Popular birds can see Storks, Lesser adjurtant, eurasian spoonbill, little cormorant, Sri Lanka junglefowl, owls, eagles, garganey, gulls, terns, kites buzzards, spoonbill, ibis, egrets, heron, bee-eaters Remarks Park was designated and established as national park of Sri Lanka on 1970 January. Kumana is one of the most important birdd nesting and breeding grounds in Sri anka. Some 20 lagoons and tanks support the extensive birdlife of the national park. The unique feature of the lagoons is the shallow water with depths less than 2 m. More than 430 birds species comprising endamic, resident and migrant birds. |
