Wilpattu National Park

The Wilpattu national park lies on the north – west of the island and recently it was reopened again to the general public and tourists. It is recommended to tour the park vehicles (4×4), and same for the cultural triangle excursion. Today, with proper coordination and training, you can enjoy the large reserve in where you can see tigers, elephants, crocodiles and many birds. Located 25km north of Puttalam a western coastal town or 30km west of Anurdhapura to be precise has been revived with keen visitors as it was unapproachable during the war.

The park displays three types of vegetation which are littoral that includes salt grass and kinds of low scrub near the beach and a coastal belt of monsoon scrub also of very low stature. Apart the inner area is a thick wooded growth with taller varieties of trees. About a three quarter of the park is dense with thickets and scrubs while the rest is more open comparatively.

The forest therefore entertains numerous kinds of animals and particularly as much as 31 mammals. Among them Leopards and Sloth bears become the connoisseurs. Moreover, Asian Elephants (giant mammals), Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Sambhur (spotless dear), barking deer etc, and also the jackal Wild Pig, Water Buffalo and Crocodiles make up for the fauna population. A wide variety of butterflies and numerous birds especially t he migrants (between November and March) show up as the winged attractions. And then there are the star tortoises and some turtle stay in and out of the ponds in the wild park as they are amphibians.

In order to have a comprehensive experience in the wild the preferred time of the year is from January to May.