Kaudulla National Park

Kaudulla was declared a park in 2002 around a tank restored in the 1950s on ancient foundations, and it works as the other half of the elephant Gathering: when Minneriya's tank fills or dries at the wrong time, the herds move here, and through the later months of the year Kaudulla often holds the larger numbers. The park is smaller and less visited, with the same open tank-bed grazing and the same dry forest around it.

Background

King Mahasen built 16 irrigation tanks, and the park's tank is among them; after lying abandoned for a time it was rebuilt in 1959. The park, 6,900 hectares in area, was designated on April 1, 2002 as the 15th national park on the island, and in 2004 the Kaudulla-Minneriya jungle corridor became a wildlife sanctuary. Recorded fauna includes 24 species of mammals, 25 of reptiles, 26 of fish and 160 of birds, and 211 elephants were counted here in 2008. A two-month-old albino axis deer calf found here suggests Kaudulla may be the only national park in Sri Lanka with albino axis deer. BirdLife International lists it, together with Minneriya and Girithale, as an Important Bird Area.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kaudulla National Park"

What's there

• The elephant herds - the Gathering shifting here as water levels change.
• The tank - a restored reservoir on ancient foundations at the park's centre.
• The open grassland - the exposed tank bed the animals come out onto.
• The birdlife - waterbirds on the tank and forest species around it.

When to go

August to December is usually the strongest window here, later than Minneriya. Which park holds the herds changes week to week. Early morning and late afternoon are best.

What to expect

Whether the elephants are here or at Minneriya is genuinely unpredictable; check on the day. Jeep crowding at good sightings is a real problem. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Minneriya is south, and Habarana is southwest.

Key facts