Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe is a national park in the southern part of Sri Lanka. It was founded back in 1972 on an area of 308 km2 to provide shelter for animals that were displaced during the construction of a reservoir on the Valava River. Udawalawe amazes with its landscapes, the wide plains are vibrant with life, and the blue mountains attract travelers.
Flora and fauna of Udawalawe Park
In Udawalawe National Park you can find several types of savannas: bush savanna where many shrubs grow; savannah, which turns into forest; grassy with a small number of trees. There are quite a lot of elephants living in the park - over 150 individuals. In addition to elephants, the park is home to sika deer, sambar, leopards, bears, gray langurs, monitor lizards, mongooses, and buffalos. A total of 39 mammals, 21 fish species, 33 reptiles, and 135 butterfly species. The park is ideal for bird watching lovers, as there are 184 species of birds, including many rare ones. Among the birds you can meet: eagles, tailed drongos, malabars, hawks, ibises, white storks, peacocks. It is worth noting that Udawalawe is home to many migratory birds, and experienced rangers will show you the best places to observe them.
Udawalawe is famous for its herds of elephants. The park's landscape contains many excellent places to observe these animals in their shopping and play areas. Elephants form herds of up to 50 individuals, but mostly herds consist of 8-10 females with cubs, led by an experienced elephant. Among the elephants there are very fearful ones that run away at the sight of people, but most of them behave quietly.
Udawalawe lies on the border of the wet and dry zones of Sri Lanka. Approximately 1500 mm of precipitation falls per year, most of it falls in October-January and March-May. It's quite hot here, the average temperature is around 30 °C.
The park is very popular among travelers and ranks third in terms of attendance among all parks in the country.
