Established as a game sanctuary in 1909 the biggest park in Sri Lanka Wilpattu is now open to the public after many years of closure due to the war in the north. It’s 30 or so fresh water lakes are the best locations to view the wild life.
This is the biggest national park in Sri Lanka covering around 500 sq. miles. 30 or so sand-rimmed freshwater lakes surrounded by grass and high forest are where the animals and birds are best seen.

• Where it is about 230 km north of Colombo and 30 KM west of Anuradhapura,
• Established in as a game sanctuary in 1909, it was re-designated to a national park in 1938 and for many years had been a popular wildlife safari destination.
• The afternoon safari starts from 3 pm to 06 pm and morning one from 06 am to 09 am.
• You be at the park entrance to buy tickets 30 minutes prior. Your wild life naturalist will help you to get tickets and get clearance through the entrance.

Bird Watching

Kumbukwila and Nelunwila in particular are a bird watchers’ paradise. In the middle of the lakes are painted stork, grey heron, cormorants and darters, while lapwing, plover and blue coot rummage among the reeds nearer the edge. Duck godwit and sandpipers are winter visitors from October to April.
On the top-most branches of the trees in the forest are hornbills who attract a lot of attention because of their comical looks and loud metallic voices. Comical they may look but strict husbands they are, locking their mates within clay walls in their hollow tree trunk nests until the eggs are hatched and the young ready to fly.

Wild Animals

Endemic sloth bear, deer are common animal here while it is also home to a large population of leopards. Elephants are less frequent preferring the Pomparippu plain and the open areas around the Kala-oya river.