>Willpattu national park

Wilpattu wild life Reserve in Sri Lanka,

The oldest and the largest

One of the important locations depicting natural heritage of bio diversity is Wilpattu wild life reserve in Sri Lanka. This one of the oldest and largest wild life sanctuaries, which was upgraded from wild life sanctuary to a National Park in 1928.

Located about 30 kms west of Anuradhapura and lying between the North Central and North western provinces is located between Modaiagama Aru in the South and Kala Oya (Gona nadi) in the North. This covers about 1908 sq kms and the distance is about 100 kms. To Colombo and 26 kms to Puttalam. This spreads from the North west coast towards Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

Deeped in history this area is a fascinating place for the historian too. Artefacts found here show that this area had been inhabited by a group of people during pre Vijayan times. Magama ( Ptotemy : Margama) at the mouth of Modaragama Aru and Uruela at the mouth of Kala Oya associated with pearl and chunk fisheries (Molluses) must have been important ports associated with trade with foreigners at the time.

Form of burial associated with Neolithic now is seen by the discovery of funerary ruins with smaller pots discovered at Pomparippu in Wilpattu and with human remains. Thus is can be said, most probably the pre historic man had been occupying some areas as these and they had known the use of poetry from the Mesolithic times in Ceylon. Ratnapura in the Sabaragamuwa Province too is another example.

Somehow this area had been a centre of occupation by Vijaya and his followers as Vijaya is said to have met Kuveni, the Yakkha princess here and married her. It is even said that about 2000 years ago King Dutigamun’s son Saliya lived in this area after marrying Asokamala (said to be a Chandala maiden) some where in Wilpattu.

With the South Indian invasions later, and shifting the capitals gradually to the South West where vast number of tanks and canals, highly civilised centre of civilisation, whole of Rajarata went to rack and ruin almost completely covered with Dry zone forests.
Wilpattu wild life reserve in Sri Lanka is a paradise for wild life

Situated in the Dry zone, rainfall is mainly from the Northeast monsoons from October to February. And inter monsoon rains in mach, vegetation in Wilpattu varies from grassland in Littoral areas and low scrubs jungle and to forests consisting of valuable timber trees such as milla, palu, satin, ebony etc. Though rainfall is not in mind at in the South West sector, the area is studded with tanks and villus, which is a remarkable feature in the Wilpattu wild life reserve in Sri Lanka . Thus there is enough water for different species of animals, birds etc. and one reason that Wilpattu is covered with thick jungle.

Considering the facts anybody can see that Wilpattu is a paradise for wild life, species of amphibious, wild animals, birds, reptiles etc are in abundance. Elephants, leopard, water buffalo, sloth bears, sambhur and wetland bird species as purple heron, large white egret, whistling teal, white ibis etc and reptiles are too numerous. Iguanas, crocodiles, cobra, python and different types of turtles are present especially in grassy sections associated with Villu.

Department of wildlife conservation would provide accommodation with comfortable bungalows maintained for the visitors.