Udawalawa National Park

Last updated on 31 May 2023Show location

Sri Lanka's Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces' borders are shared by Udawalawa National Park.

The park was established to protect the catchment of the reservoir and to offer a sanctuary for wild creatures driven from their natural habitat by the construction of the Udawalawa Reservoir on the Walawe River. The reserve was formed on June 30, 1972, and it has a total land size of 30,821 hectares (119, 00 sq. mi).

Before the region was designated as a national park, shifting cultivation was practiced there (Chena farming). Once the national park was established, the farmers gradually disappeared. 165 kilometers (103 miles) separate Colombo from the park. Elephants from Sri Lanka and water birds both depend on Udawalawa as a habitat. It is a well-liked vacation spot and the third-most frequented park in the nation.