Udawalawe National Park serves as a sanctuary for wildlife conservation.
Udawalawe National Park is widely considered as one of the most superior national parks in Sri Lanka. It boasts an impressive range of wildlife species, including herds of elephants, wild buffaloes, sambars, spotted deer, giant squirrels, mongooses, jackals, water monitor lizards, crocodiles, sloth bears, leopards, 30 varieties of snakes, and 210 bird species. The park is especially famous for its elephant groups, which can sometimes consist of up to 50 individuals. The best times to observe these elephants are between 6:30 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 6:30 pm. It’s worth noting that elephants can come and go out of the park through unfenced borders. However, an elephant-proof fence surrounds most parts of the park to prevent them from entering areas with a higher human population and to keep cattle out.
Elephant Sanctuary and Conservation Success.
The Udawalawe National Park is home to approximately 250 Sri Lankan elephants that live in their natural habitat. However, spotting these magnificent creatures can be quite challenging due to the vast open surroundings of the park. To take care of abandoned elephant calves found within the park, the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home was established in 1995. Over the years, the transit home has cared for nine calves and released them into the park when they were old enough to take care of themselves. Two of them were released in 1998 and 2000, while the remaining eight were released in 2002.
