Udawalawe Park
🔆 Udawalawe: savanna where elephants are the main characters Imagine endless golden plains stretching beyond the horizon, where majestic shadows roam among thorny bushes and dry monsoon forests. Udawalawe is not just a national park, it is a real African savannah in the heart of Sri Lanka. The park, located on the border of Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces, was founded on June 30, 1972. It covers an area of more than 30 thousand hectares and is the fifth national park in the country. 🔆 Kingdom of Giants The main star of Udawalawe is the Asian elephant. The park is considered the best place on the island to observe these giants at any time of the year. It is home to an impressive population of about 500–600 elephants, which often gather in herds of up to 50, and sometimes up to 100 individuals. You can see them in all their glory: they graze in meadows, play in ponds, and at dawn or dusk they come to the reservoir to drink. Seeing them here is almost guaranteed, and this sight leaves a lasting impression. The park is the third most visited in the country, and this is not surprising. 🔆 Reason for creation and unique landscape The park was created with an important mission: to provide refuge for wildlife displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir on the Walawa River, and to protect the reservoir's watershed. Before the park was founded, this area was used for slash-and-burn agriculture. Today, the landscape of the park is unique: there are several types of savannas - grassy, with sparse trees, with dense thorny bushes, and even valleys flooded with water. And around the reservoir, trunks of dead trees stick out of the water, reminiscent of the forests that grew here before the construction of the dam - this creates surreal landscapes. 🔆 A wealth of wildlife But Udawalawe is not just about elephants. A jeep safari along the park's network of roads will open up a wonderful world to you. You will meet wild buffalos, spotted deer and sambar, wild boars and jackals. If you're lucky, you might spot a leopard hiding in the shadows. You'll probably spot crocodiles near the water, and countless flocks of monkeys will watch you from the branches. In total, the park is home to 39 species of mammals, 33 species of reptiles, 21 species of fish and 12 species of amphibians. 🔆 Paradise for ornithologists and botanists The park is a real paradise for bird lovers: 184 species of birds have been recorded here, 33 of which are migratory. Among them are peacocks, snake eagles, kingfishers and herons. And if you look closely, you can find many species of lizards and 135 species of butterflies in the grass and trees. The flora of the park deserves special attention: trees such as satinwood, ebony and palu grow here. And two species of plants - Daminia and Mandorance - are not found in any other national park in Sri Lanka. 🔆 Summary Udawalawe is a place where you feel like a pioneer. This is an opportunity to touch wild nature, see majestic elephants in their natural environment and become part of this amazing, untouched world for a few hours. Come here for vivid impressions and photographs that will warm you long after returning home.