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The Udawalawe National Park website belongs to the Info Sri Lanka group of websites and it aims not only to assist the healthy development of the fauna and flora of the Udawalawe Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park but also to benefit the lives of the people living in the surrounding areas. Along with this the website  also targets to encourage these people to protect the Udawalawe National Park and treat it as their own and thereby turning the park into a more prestigious national treasure of Sri Lanka.

  

         In addition to this the website turns the eyes of the whole world to the tourist attractions and tourists destinations found nearby the Udawalawe National Park. By increasing the opportunities for the visitors to enjoy these attractions the Udawalawe Park website seeks furthermore to bring the attractiveness and popularity of these places as well as the Park to a whole new level. Each and every tourist will receive a highly efficient and productive service via this site and it is certain that they will be extremely satisfied. 

 

       To put it in another way, this website focuses mainly on the Udawalawe Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park and aims to protect both the splendid wildlife and the captivating land of Udawalawe.The Udawalawe National Park Website is the most productive and the one and only site dedicated to this Park that also operates with a virtuous aim.

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  • Overview and History

  • Establishment of udawalawe and other national parks

  • Department of wildlife conservation

  • Highlights of udawalawe compared to other national parks

Overview and History
For over four decades since its inception, the Udawalawe National Park has successfully attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors, including both local and foreign tourists, while prolifically contributing to the development of the entire tourism sector of Sri Lanka. The number one and predominant factor that has attached a high degree of prestige to the National Park of Udawalawe is the high probability of sighting Sri Lankan elephants. Tourists will most certainly catch a glimpse or even get within several metres of one or multiple elephants at Udawalawe during each safari tour. Furthermore, other exotic creatures, such as the Sri Lankan leopard and endemic species of birds, can also be witnessed at Udawalawe.

The Udawalawe National Park was designated and established as the fifth national park of Sri Lanka on the 30th of June, 1972. This officially designated the Udawalawe region as a national park in addition to a wildlife sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Protection ordinance of Sri Lanka.The water reservoir of Udawalawe National Park, encompassing a total surface area of nearly 3,500 hectares, is the largest reservoir in the vicinity and it is referred to as the “Walawe reservoir”.

The total area of Udawalawe National Park is almost 31,000 hectares and this makes the park one of the most expansive parks in the island. The most common type of environment witnessed in Udawalawe is the dry grassland and scrubland. Extensive regions of tall grass, scrubs, as well as trees are common sights at Udawalawe. These are the most favourite environment conditions of the elephants at Udawalawe for a substantial portion of the year. Even though grasslands, scrublands, and similar types of plains are predominantly witnessed in the park, mountainous and rocky areas are also not uncommon.

Establishment of udawalawe and other national parks
Given below are the names and the dates of initiation of several prominent wildlife sanctuaries and national parks of Sri Lanka.

        •  Yala National Park - 1938, February
        •  Wilpattu National Park - 1938 February
        • Gal Oya National Park - 1954 February
        • Kumana National Park - 1970 January
        • Udawalawe National Park - 1972 June

As evident from the information presented below, the Udawalawe National Park was established and officially designated as the fifth national park of Sri Lanka, two years after the establishment of the Kumana National Park, famed for its alluring wide variety of birds. Despite the fact that the Udawalawe National Park was opened decades after the first national parks of Sri Lanka, its popularity has superseded or matched the popularity of the first few national parks. The number of visitors that have visited Udawalawe is much higher than almost all of the other national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of the country.

Department of wildlife conservation
The governing body or authority regarding the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks of Sri Lanka, including Udawalawe, and any associated activities are held by the National Department of Wildlife Conservation. Being established in 1949, just after the independence of Sri Lanka, the Department of Wildlife Conservation is the primary entity responsible for the maintenance of the national parks and wildlife reserves. The chief personnel of this particular national department is popularly known as the Warden but today, the position is referred to as the Director General of Wildlife Conservation.
All the major National Parks of Sri Lanka, including Udawalawe, Yala, Wilpattu, Hikkaduwa, and Pigeon Island National Park are directly administered by the Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka. The conservation of nature, especially due to modernisation and the constantly-increasing urban development, is an integral aspect of any country and in Sri Lanka, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, as its name suggests, is primarily responsible for handling all activities related to conserving the wildlife of the nation. Within this context, the department is also responsible for the Sri Lankan Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe.

Highlights of udawalawe compared to other national parks
Just as the Sri Lanka’s first national park, the Yala National Park, Udawalawe lies towards the southern portion of the island. Due to the dry conditions of the region, Udawalawe presents a vividly different environment when compared with the lush scenic conditions of the highly populated western region and the picturesque central region of the country. These different environmental conditions provide a driving factor for the increased popularity that Udawalawe enjoys.
Sri Lankan elephants at Udawalawe can be even seen during the afternoon and the high probability of experiencing the glorious creature in its natural habitat is one of the most attractive features of the park. Multiple elephants or even herds of elephants can be spotted at Udawalawe occasionally. The chances of witnessing a herd of Sri Lankan elephants is extremely high near rivers and the reservoir of Udawalawe. The dry season of the region is the ideal time in the year to visit Udawalawe and this particular season usually occurs between the months of May and September.
Moreover, the journey from Colombo or other major cities in the Western Province of Sri Lanka long but not too tiresome. Furthermore, the surrounding areas of Udawalawe is filled to the brim with other illustrious attractions and tourist destinations. For example, the Wavulpane Limestone caves, the hot wells, as well as the Elephant Transit Home are all present in the vicinity of the Udawalawe National Park. These factors contribute to the enhancement of the overall brilliance and significance of Udawalawe as one of the premier tourist destinations of Sri Lanka.