The Udawalawe National Park is famed for its resident elephant population and is one of the oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. It is also instrumental in the establishment of the Elephant Transit Home which is an important project that is geared towards the conservation of elephants in Sri Lanka.
Udawalawe National Park
Finding right accommodation at Udawalawe National Park Sri Lanka
This national park spans approximately 31,000 hectares and is located in the southern dry zone. The park cuts across two of the Southern Provinces and includes the Udawalawe Reservoir. The most prominent peak called Ulgala is located in the west of the park. It rises up to a height of nearly 380 metres from the lowest point in the area which is at 100 metres above sea level. The most topographical features are the Kalthota Escarpment and the spectacular Diyawinne Falls to the north.
The reservoir itself is situated inside the park, and draws its water from the Horton Plains Reserve, the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary and the Haputale area. It retains its status as an important area for aquatic birds. Udawalawe National Park is the second most popular park after Yala and is famed for its resident Sri Lankan Elephant population which can be seen in large herds.
The Udawalawe National Park is also instrumental in the Elephant Transit Home - a project that is geared towards the conservation of the Sri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) which is a recognized subspecies of the Asian Elephant and is now endangered. This transit camp is an orphanage of sorts where abandoned, injured or orphaned elephants are treated and then released back into the park. It is possible to observe these elephants from a safe distance.
Our safari camp is situated on the border of Udawalawe National Park to the west, and it neighbors a village with local residents to the east.
There are farmlands to the north and south. Although the surroundings are generally very quiet, occasionally you may hear the sounds of a religious ceremony or a local gathering from a distance, especially if they are using loudspeakers. This is a part of the local culture, and we appreciate your understanding. The camp has a supply of earplugs available upon request in such situations.
Elephant Safari
The Udawalawe National Park is the only place where an elephant sighting is guaranteed on every single safari drive. There are around 600 to 700 Sri Lankan Elephants in this wildlife park and it is not unusual to see large herds gather to drink water and feed.
In addition to the Elephants there are Spotted deer, Monitor lizards, Sambar deer, Wild boar, Common Langurs, Jackals, Toddy cats and the endemic Toque Macaque. The Sri Lankan Leopard has also been sighted here, but unlike in the Yala National Park these sightings are very rare.
A total of 183 species of birds have been recorded here, some of which are resident and the others, migrant. The endemic Sri Lanka junglefowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Malabar pied Hornbill and the Sri Lanka Spurfowl are of particular importance to birders. Of the water birds, the rare Osprey and Indian Cormorant are of note too.
Thirty species of snakes, Mugger crocodiles, Oriental garden lizards, Water monitors and Bengal Monitors also call Udawalawe home.
In terms of floral species, much of the forest canopy in Udawalawe has been destroyed through slash and burn cultivation - only savannah grasslands and thorn scrub now prevail. Trees such as Satin, Ehala, Lunumidella and Kumbuk can be found. The Mandorang tree too can be found here and is endemic to Sri Lanka.
