Kaudulla National Park

Kaudulla National Park

Province :  North Central Province Area : 69 sq. km Altitude:   m Vegetation : Tropical dry mixed evergreen

Kaudulla was one of the 16 irrigation tanks built by King Mahasen. Following a period of abandonment it was reconstructed in 1959. The tank which dominates the background of the Park is an important meeting place for hundreds of species of wildlife which popularly includes hundreds of Elephants who come to water at the reservoir, especially during the dry seasons.

In the drought period Sri Lankan elephants move to the Minneriya tank to drink and feed. Around the month of September the elephants move to the Kaudulla tank in search of more water and food.

Kaudulla National Park is one of Sri Lanka’s youngest national parks, having only been designated a protected area in 2002.

It’s certainly not the largest national park to be found in the country either, or the most visited, but it is one of the most spectacular and diverse.

These days, the water tank supports the huge ecosystem that’s found here, from lush, green forests to drier grasslands.

This is a bird watcher’s paradise as well , BirdLife International has identified Kaudulla as an Important Bird Area and it’s one of the best locations in the country to where160 of species of birds have been identified; some of them are Spot-billed pelican, Lesser adjutant, Asian spoonbill, Grey-headed fish eagle, Black-headed ibis, Painted and open-billed storks

Main Attraction : Elephants & bird-life