Udawalawe National Park stands as one of Sri Lanka’s most renowned and remarkable national parks, celebrated for its rich biodiversity and breathtaking landscapes. This protected area is a sanctuary for a diverse range of flora and fauna, playing a vital role as a habitat for Sri Lankan elephants and numerous aquatic bird species.

Located approximately 165 kilometers (103 miles) from Colombo, the park spans an impressive 30,821 hectares (119 square miles). A key feature of the park is the Udawalawe Reservoir, which occupies 3,405 hectares when at full capacity. Geographically, the park lies along the boundary of the Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces, with its borders defined by notable landmarks and regions:

– The southern boundary is marked by the Udawalawe-Thanamalwila Road, with the Sewanagala Sugar Plantation situated just south of it. 

– Lunugamwehera National Park lies to the southeast. 

– The western section, on the left bank of the reservoir, extends into the Ratnapura District, while the eastern sector, on the right bank, reaches into the Monaragala District. 

Today, Udawalawe National Park is a major tourist attraction and ranks as the third most visited national park in Sri Lanka. Its captivating ecosystem, with its vibrant wildlife and serene landscapes, has drawn global attention, making it a must-visit destination for nature enthusiasts and travelers seeking an unforgettable experience.

History of Udawalawe National Park

On June 30, 1972, the ministry of shipping and tourism presided over a ceremony that designated Udawalawe National Park as Sri Lanka’s fifth national park. [Government Gazette Notification No. 14]. Udawalawe National Park was completed with the end of the Udawalawe reservoir project. The primary goal of this project is to call it a national park while also protecting the park’s catchment areas by establishing a refuge for wild elephants. The second reservoir, dubbed Maw-Ara Tank, was built within the national park between 1991 and 1998. People used this land for their livelihoods by shifting and cultivating Chena. Before the authorities classified this area as the Udawalawe National Park, the inhabitants engaged in farming operations there. After being proclaimed a National Park, all of the people left and established other habitats that were suitable for them.

Physical Features of Udawalawe National Park

Udawalawe National Park spans the dry and wet zones of Sri Lanka, and as a result, it contains a diverse environment. This national park is flanked by two important drainage basins: the ‘wall we’ river and the’maw ara’. This terrain is in the shape of an undulating plain, with an elevation of roughly 100 meters, rising to 373 meters at the foothills. The northern half of the park featured two natural attractions: the Kalthota range and the Diyawini waterfalls. The national park’s soil is primarily composed of residual alluvial soil. It contained reddish-brown earth, colonized solonetz, and low-humic clays. Granite and gneisses have taken up significant acreage in the park. The National Park’s northern and western boundaries are near the transition zone with the highland or Khondalite series.

The climate of Udawalawe National Park

Because a substantial portion of Udawalawe National Park is located in the dry zone, it experiences uniformly high temperatures as well as seasonal rainfall. The climatic conditions of this park vary according to its location. However, the average annual rainfall is approximately 1500 mm (59 in). Excessive rainfall occurs from October to January and March to May. The average yearly temperature is approximately 27-28 °C (81-82 °F). Relative humidity ranges from 70% to 83%. It has a suitable climate for all living organisms found in the park.

Ecology in Udawlawe National Park

Someone who enjoys visiting this park is interested in learning about its ecosystem. When discussing the ecology of Udawalawe National Park, the natural surroundings and animals play an important part. Elephants have a vital role among the various animal species. In addition to elephants, various bird species contribute to the ecosystem’s beauty. The park contains a variety of natural resources, including dry mixed evergreen forests, riverine forests, reservoirs, scrub, grassland, bushes, the Walawe River, marshes, and tributaries, among others. Dry mixed evergreen forests and riverine forests have a variety of plant species (trees). In addition to these resources, the park contains a huge number of animal kinds, including several species. The majority of the animals are birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and fish. In summary, this park contains 94 plant species, 43 animal species, 184 bird species, 12 amphibian species, 33 reptile species, and 21 fish species. All of these animal’s aid in the survival of the ecosystem. A species of microbe can be found in the Udawalawe reservoir. It belongs to the algae group. There are two major types: green algae and blue-green algae. Their species was also found in the reservoir. The abundance of natural resources and living organisms in this park has contributed to the wonder of its ecology.

Flora in Udawalawe National Park

The beauty of the ecosystem is mostly created by the flora system. It almost helps to maintain the greenish appearance of the park. The park’s principal vegetation types include dry mixed evergreen forest, riverine forest, scrub, grassland, shrubs, and teak plantations, among others. Before this area was designated as Udawalawe National Park, farmers worked on teak plantations. People form mental images of dead trees in the reservoir.

Dry mixed evergreen forest.
The dry mixed evergreen forest has covered a large portion of this park, giving it a greenish appearance. It features a variety of canopy species. The Palu tree (Manilkara hexandra) is the tallest canopy tree in the park and spreads throughout it. Some valuable wood settlements, such as Palu, Weera, and Burutha, exist here. This forest contains a diverse range of canopy species. Some common canopy species include Sterculia foetida, Chloroxylon swietenia, Drypetes sepiaria, Pterospermum suberifolium, Cassine glauca, and Diospyros ebenum.

Riverine forest
Another resource that adds to the splendor of this ecosystem is a riverine forest situated along the Walawe River’s banks. This section accounts for 0.15 percent of the total area. There are some indigenous plant (tree) species to be spotted here. Some of these can be illustrated as follows: Hopea cordifolia, Diospyros naladarica, Garcinia spicata, Terminalia arjuna, Haldina corbifolia, Madhuka longifolia, and Hydnocartus venenata, among others.

Grassland and scrub
In this natural setting, grassland and scrub contribute to biodiversity. Scrub covers around 50.4% (15800 hectares) of the park’s total area, while grassland covers 31.7% (9939.3 ha). There are two types of scrub in this park. Some of the most prevalent species are Lantana camara, Asparagus racemosus, Carissa spinarum, Ziziphus oenoplia, Flueggea leucopyrus, Benkara malabarica, Streblus asper, Bauhinia racemosa, Scutia myrtina, Dichrostachys sinerea, Eupatoriun odoratum, etc.

attraction for the park’s ecosystem (ecology). With its natural beauty, this park might be considered one of Sri Lanka’s most magnificent destinations.

All of these natural treasures provide significant support and attractiveness to the park’s ecosystem (ecology). With its natural beauty, this park might be considered one of Sri Lanka’s most magnificent destinations.

Fauna of Udawalawe National Park

This is Sri Lanka’s sixth largest animal sanctuary. Udawalawe’s wildlife comprises both fauna and natural settings. It is populated by various vertebrate and invertebrate species classified according to the primary animal classification system. According to the above classification, this park is home to a few well-known vertebrate classes, including Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes (fish), Amphibians, Reptiles, Aves (birds), and Mammals, as well as a few species of butterflies belonging to the invertebrate class. Udawalawe National Park is home to an estimated 135 different butterfly species.

Fish

The Udawalawe National Park contains 21 fish species from nine families. Five of the species are endemic, and seven are foreign. However, the number of indigenous species is quite low, accounting for only 11% of the national total of 44 species, whereas foreign species account for 22% of the total species discovered in the park. The exotic fish are mostly restricted to the reservoirs and tanks. No threatened species have been discovered yet. The Cyprinidae are the most populous family among all species, and Puntius is the most common genus within that family. Garra ceylonensis is the park’s endemic fish species. Two kinds of fish were found primarily in ponds and water holes, while the remaining species can be found in the Walawe River, Udawlawe reservoir, and various tanks. It has been documented that seven foreign species can be found here. The Freshwater Fish Breeding Station of the Ministry of Fisheries in Udawalawe is primarily responsible for the discovery of these foreign species. Some of the fish species that may be found in this park include Puntius sarana, Labeo dussumieri, Puntius Chola, Garra ceylonensis, Catla, Rohu, Gourami, Oreochromis niloticus, and others. Some essential food fish kinds may be found in Udawlawe National Park’s reservoir, including Rohu, Catla, Oreochromis spp., and Giant gourami.

Amphibians

Sri Lanka has the greatest percentage of amphibian species that are extinct or threatened. Sri Lanka has 111 amphibian species belonging to seven groups. Nearly 12 species of amphibians can be discovered in Udawalawe National Park. Four of the park’s amphibian species are endemic. These creatures can survive on both land and water. These amphibians like to live in the Riverine Forest, Grassland, and Scrub areas of the park. Amphibians are most abundant in the Riverine Forest, while the Scrub and Grassland have the fewest. The most important feature that can be noted here is the protection of herpetofauna species as evidenced by their relative species in a dry zone environment. In the aforementioned variety, we can see one frog genus called Philautus, which is unique to Sri Lanka. Amphibian species are threatened for a variety of reasons, but the remaining species mostly contribute to the richness of this national park.

Reptiles

Udawalawe National Park is home to 23 reptile species, 8 of which are endemic. The park is home to primarily mugger crocodiles, painted-lip lizards, oriental garden lizards, Asian water monitors, Bengal monitors, and 30 different snake species. Their habitats include undisturbed and disturbed dry-mixed evergreen forests, grassland, scrub, and the reservoir. When categorizing those reptiles by habitat, the highest percentage can be found in undisturbed Dry Mixed Evergreen Forest, followed by Grassland and the lowest in Scrub. Several species, such as Otocryptis nigristigma and Calotes ceylonensis, can be found in both disturbed and undisturbed dry mixed evergreen woods.
Aside from them, Eutropis Tamanna (The Endermic Tammanna Skink) is a newly recorded reptile type for the Udawlawe National Park that may be found in Grassland constituted of natural grass species such as illuk as well as undisturbed Dry-Mixed Evergreen Forest.
A few snake kinds can be found here, including the Colubrid snake (Boiga beddomei), the Striped flying snake (Chrysopelea taprobanica), the Trinket snake (Coeloganthus Helena), and the Rock python (Python molurus), which is a newly recorded rarely encountered species within the park. Some of them can be found in disturbed Dry-mixed Evergreen forests. In addition to the reptile species mentioned above, this park is home to two endemic reptile genera. They’re Nessia and Lankascincus.

Birds

Udawalawe is one of the most beautiful areas for bird watching, with roughly 225 species of birds. There are 33 species of migratory birds. Some endemic bird species include the Sri Lanka Swallow, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Sri Lanka Woodshike, Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl (Gallus Lafayettii), Sri Lanka Spurfowl (Galloperdix bicalcarata), Red-faced Malkoha, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Sri Lanka Brown-capped Babbler, and Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot (Loticulus berylliosis).
The tallest bird species can be found in grassland, dry-mixed evergreen forests, and riverine forests, while the lowest are found in scrub. Between November and March, almost 110 different kinds of migratory birds can be spotted. This is known as the migratory season for birds. During this season, you can witness migratory birds such as the Booted eagle, Rosy starling, Common kestrel, Harris’s hawk, Western yellow wagtail, Citrine wagtail, Forest wagtail, Little ringed plover, Whiskered tern, Common sandpiper, Black-capped kingfisher, Wood sandpiper, and others.

Other bird species that can be seen in this park include the Grey heron, Indian pond heron, Spot-billed pelican, Little cormorant, Great egret, Cattle egret, Little egret, Painted stork, Intermediate egret, woolly-necked stork, Green bee-eater, Yellow-wattled lapwing, Crested trees swift, and others.
Some kinds of water birds make their homes in areas around reservoirs because they prefer to live there. The reservoir is home to a variety of aquatic bird species, including cormorants, spot-billed pelicans, Asian openbills, and painted storks.
The red-faced malkoha and Sirkeer have their homes within the Riverine forest vegetation because it provides a shelter for those species. In 1976, the first authentic nest of the Red-faced Malkoha species was discovered in this park.
All of these bird species’ habitats contribute significantly to biodiversity. This park captures people’s attention since it is an elegant location for photography, with a wide variety of bird species.

Mammals

Udawalawe National Park is one of the best places to see elephants. Not only that, but this is a great area to see a variety of other creatures. The park is home to 43 mammal species. They are classified into 25 genera and 16 families, and include seven species of rats, various bat species, six species of ungulates, three civets, three primates, three mongoose species, the leopard (Panthera pardus), the jungle cat (Felis chaus), Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), the black-naped hare (Lepus nigricollis), the golden jackal (Canis aureus), and so on.
This park has the potential to draw a big number of people due to the presence of a large population of Asian elephants. People may readily see them in the reservoir area. Because it has a greenish and bluish appearance inside the reservoir, as well as the possibility of seeing elephants, it will open people’s attention to the wonders of nature. Anyway, this park has the capacity to support a big number of Sri Lankan elephants. These elephants are most commonly spotted in open grassland settings and play a crucial role in the park.
In addition to Asian Elephants, the most prevalent species found in the park include the wild boar (Sus scrofa), the toque macaque, the black rat (Rattus rattus), the grey langur (Seminopithecus priam), the spotted dear (Axis axis), and so on. There are a few indigenous mammals. Six indigenous mammal species have been identified here, including the Flame-Stripped Jungle Squirrel (Funambulus lanyards), SriLankan Spiny Mouse (Mus fernandoni), Toque Monkey (Macaca Sinica), SriLankan Golden Striped-Backed Palm Civet (Paradoxurus meminna), and others. One of the aforementioned indigenous mammals, the Spiny Mouse (Mus Fernando), is critically endangered, while eleven species of mammals are nationally vulnerable. The Wild Buffalo (Bubalus arnee) is one of the exotic animals that can be found here.
The vegetation of these mammals is abundant in the grassland and undisturbed dry-mixed evergreen woodland environments. People may encounter the secretive Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) on the road at any time of day or night. Udawalawe National Park is one of the best areas in Sri Lanka to see these types of mammals. The endemic Ceylon Spiny mouse was discovered in Udawalawe National Park in 1989. Aside from the aforementioned categories, several species of small mammals are frequently seen within this park, including the Common Rat (Rattus rattus), White-tailed Wood Rat (Madromys blanfordi), Antelope Rat (Tatera indica), Soft-furred Metad (Millardia meltada), Sri Lanka Spiny Mouse (Mus fernandoni), Painted Bat (Kerivoula picta), and Indian Field Mouse (Mus booduga).
In Udawalawe National Park, we can see a few Felidae mammals. They include the Rusty-Spotted Cat, the Fishing Cat, and the Sri Lankan Leopard. Sri Lankan Sloth Bears are rarely seen here. Mammals can live in a variety of climates, including cold and hot. So the vegetation within this park gives excellent support for these creatures to exist without discrimination. However, the abundance of Asian Elephants, Ceylon Spotted Deer, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Leopard, Otter, Sloth Bear, SriLankan Spotted Chevrotain, Thick-tailed Pangolin, Toque Macaque, Water buffalo, Wild Boar, and other species has contributed significantly to the park’s biodiversity.