Lahugala Kitulana National Park

Lahugala is one of the smallest national parks in Sri Lanka, around fifteen square kilometres of tank and dry forest, and it exists because of a grass: beru grows thickly in the shallows of the Lahugala tank and elephants come from a wide area to eat it, gathering in numbers disproportionate to the park's size. The Magul Maha Vihara, an ancient monastery with a moonstone showing elephants with riders, stands close by.

Background

The area was first protected as a wildlife sanctuary in 1966 and became a national park in 1980. It covers 1,554 hectares and lies 318 km east of Colombo. Water from its three reservoirs, Lahugala, Kitulana and Sengamuwa, ends up in the Heda Oya river. Mean annual rainfall is about 1650 mm, and dry spells run from May to October and from January to March. A herd of 150 elephants is drawn by the Sacciolepis interrupta grass that grows around the Lahugala tank. The red-faced malkoha and the Sri Lanka spurfowl are endemic birds found in the park, and two freshwater turtles, Melanochelys trijuga and Lissemys punctata, live in the tank.

Source: Wikipedia, "Lahugala Kitulana National Park"

Highlights

• The elephants on the tank - herds feeding on beru grass in the shallow water.
• The three tanks - Lahugala, Kitulana and Sengamuwa within the small park.
• The Magul Maha Vihara - ancient monastery ruins with a carved moonstone nearby.
• The dry forest - woodland the herds come in from.

When to go

June to September is the dry window when elephants concentrate on the tank. In the wet season they disperse. Late afternoon is the best hour.

What to expect

The park is tiny and can be seen from the road in places. Elephant numbers vary and there are quiet days. Facilities are essentially none.

Nearby

Arugam Bay is east, and Kumana is southeast.

Key facts