Wasgamuwa National Park

Wasgamuwa lies between the Mahaweli and Amban rivers with the Knuckles foothills rising to the west, and it was created partly as a refuge for animals displaced by the Mahaweli irrigation scheme. It holds a resident elephant population of a few hundred, sloth bear, leopard and a good bird list, and it gets a fraction of the visitors that the northern parks do. A long-running research project on elephants and on reducing conflict with farmers operates from here.

Background

Wasgamuwa covers 39322 hectares in the Matale and Polonnaruwa Districts, 225 km from Colombo. The area became a nature reserve in 1938, was reclassified as a strict nature reserve in the early 1970s and was declared a national park on August 07, 1984, one of four created under the Mahaweli Development Project. The name comes from Walas Gamuwa, Sinhala for a wood of sloth bears. Sudu Kanda, or White Mountain, is the highest point at 470 metres, and rainfall runs to 1650-2100 mm a year. Surveys list more than 150 plant species, 23 mammals, 143 birds including 8 endemics, 17 reptiles and 17 fish. A tamarind tree some 1,700 years old, Oru Bendi Siyambalawa, once stood in the park.

Source: Wikipedia, "Wasgamuwa National Park"

What's there

• The resident elephants - a few hundred living in the park year round.
• The river boundaries - the Mahaweli and Amban framing the park.
• The Knuckles foothills - the range rising along the western edge.
• The quiet - a park where a sighting is usually yours alone.

When to go

November to May is the drier window here, the reverse of the north-central parks. Early morning is most productive. The park can be difficult to reach after heavy rain.

Practical notes

Sightings are less frequent than in the Gathering parks and the bush is thick. The access road is rough and long. Facilities near the entrance are minimal.

Nearby

The Knuckles range is west, and Habarana is north.

Key facts