Overview

Udawalawa is one of the greatest locations to watch Elephant in a natural park combination of Dry Zone and Wet Zone National Park. There is a large variety of animals in this land. The Udawalawe National Park is the third most visited Park in Sri Lanka. The varied habitats in Udawalawe make it home to a diverse spectrum of animals.

The main attraction at Udawalawe however are the elephants, with a herd of 600 to 700 elephants believed to be residents of the Park. The Udawalawe National Park is home to many more species of Sri Lankan wildlife which include the endemic Toque Macaque and the Sri Lankan Leopard – though the latter is seen very rarely. The Sri Lankan Sloth Bear has been recorded as well, but it is seldom seen. There are numerous species of birds, some of which are endemic along with fish, reptiles and amphibians. Udawalawe is home to Sri Lankan wildlife such as the Rusty-spotted Cat, Fishing Cat and the Sri Lankan Leopard.

Other species include the Sri Lankan Sambar Deer, Sri Lankan Axis Deer, Indian Muntjac, Sri Lankan Spotted Chevrotain, Wild Boar and Water Buffalo. Presence of the Golden Jackal, Asian Palm Civet, Toque Macaque, Tufted Grey Langur and the Indian Hare have also been recorded. Large numbers of Golden Palm Civets are present here along with 5 species of mice, Indian Bush Rat and 3 species of Mongoose. Endemic Flora in Udawalawe National Park Sri Lanka is rich and varied. Originally densely forested, savannah grasslands and thorn-scrub now predominate the Park. Much of the forest was destroyed by chena - slash and burn - cultivation. Scattered trees, constituting 20 – 50 percent of existing cover, are mainly Satin, Ehala and Lunumidella. In the riverine forest, Kumbuk and the endemic Mandorang trees are dominant.