Wilpattu National Park

Wilpattu National Park is located 25km north of Puttalam or 30km west of Anurdhapura. The park that lies on the northwest coast spans the border between North Central Province and North Western Province of Sri Lanka. To the south of Wilpattu National Park is River Modergam Aru; to the north is River Kalay oya.

Reaching Wilpattu National Park Colombo-Puttalam A3 highway leads to the city of Puttalama. 42 km along the A12 Puttalama- Anuradhapura highway is a large sign board that reads Willpattu National Park. 7km along the road that turns to the left at the sign board takes you to the entrance of the park at Hunuwilagama.

Wilpattu was declared a wildlife sanctuary on the year 1905. On 25th February 1938, the sanctuary was elevated to the status of National Wildlife Park. On 7th November 1947, the northern area of Wilpattu was declared as Wilpattu North Sanctuary.

Wilpattu National Park, the largest wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka span an area of no less than 131,693 hectares with altitude ranging between the sea-level and 152 meters.
Topography of Wilpattu National Park situated in the dry zone, isn’t like any other wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka. A unique complex of over 50 wetlands called "Villu" is the most prominent topographical feature of the national park. 'Villu' are shallow natural lakes filled with rainwater surrounded by open grassy plains amidst the dense scrub jungle. The presence of these Villus with an abundance of water can best be explained in the weather patterns that prevail over the park: while the period of drought is only during the months of May to early September, the main rainy season is during September to December with the heavy downpours of north eastern monsoon; inter monsoon season visits the park March and April. Annual temperature in the Park is around 27.2 Celsius and its annual rainfall is approximately 1000 mm.

The best time to visit Wilpattu National Park is during the months of February and October. Wilpattu National Park has a good network of gravel roads, particularly between the water holes.

Wilpattu National Park consists of three types of vegetation: littoral vegetation including salt grass and low scrub immediately adjacent to the beach; a 5-10 km coastal belt of monsoon scrub of very low stature; and further inland, the wooded forest with tall emergents, such as Palu (Manilkara hexandra) and Satin (Chloroxylon swietenia), Milla (Vitex altissima), Weera (Drypetes sepiaria), Ebony (Disopyros ebenum) and Wewarna (Alseodaphne semecapriflolia). Some 73% of the park is dense forest or scrub and the rest is more open habitat.

Wilpattu National Park’s varying natural habitats; coastal belt, natural lakes (villus), rocky outcrops, scrublands, open grasslands and dense forest provide for numerous species of animals. Among the species are 31 mammals. The biggest draws in Wilpattu are Leopards (Panthera pardus kotiya) and Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus). Apart from those two mammals are Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus), Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, jackals, sambhur, barking deer, mouse deer Wild Pig, Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and Mugger Crocodiles.

The Villus support a wide range of birdlife: endemic birds include the Ceylon Junglefowl, Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon Woodshrike and Black-capped Bulbul in riverine habitats.
Countless species of birds can be found and the park plays host to numerous winter migrants from November to March, while menacing crocodiles top the list of reptiles.
Butterflies recorded include the Great Eggfly, Blue Mormon, Common Mormon, Common Rose Great Orange Tip, Glad-eye Bushbrown, Blue Mormon, Common Mormon, Common Rose and Crimson Rose.

At Wilpattu National Park, among the reptiles found the most common are the Monitor (Varanus bengalensis), Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), Common cobra (Naja naja), Rat snake (Ptyas mucosus), Indian python (Python molurus).
 

Roaming on the grasslands are Star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) at Wilpattu. In the large Villus are Pond turtle (Melanonchelys trijuga) and the Soft shelled turtle (Lissemys punctata)

Wilpattu National Park and its surroundings are of history that runs as far as back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya in Lanka from East India in 543 BC. The landing beach of prince Vijaya is believed to be the area today known as Kudriamali. Kali Villu is said to be location of the palace of Kuveni, a princess of a native tribe in the island.
Wirandagoda and Galbendi Niyara located north-east of Maradanmaduwa at Wilpattu are believed to be two of the locations where prince Saliya, who forfeited his right to the crown of Lanka, lived with his low caste wife called Asoka Mala a couple of millenniums ago.
At Pomparippu of Wilpattu, several urns containing human remains have been found. The urns are believed to belong to period prior to the recorded history of Sri Lanka, i. e. prior to the arrival of Prince Vijaya in Lanka.
In the eastern part of Wilpattu are remnants of breached tanks left over from agricultural systems of ancient Sinhalese civilizations. Also between Palangaturai and Kollankanatte are the remains of an old harbour.

Yala National Park

The Yala National Park of Sri Lanka is considered the best place to get up close and personal with these rare felines. One of the largest wildlife reserves in the nation (spanning a ground area of over a 100,000 hectares over the island's dry zone in the southeast), this park is home to untold numbers of leopards, most of whom have become habitualized enough to humans and safari jeeps that photographers of any skill level stand a chance of capturing these speedsters in unguarded majesty.

The park falls across two of the island's provinces and is divided into five blocks, only two of which are open to visitors for various safety reasons. It is because of this inaccessibility that the present number of Asian leopards is largely uncounted; a documentary by Gordon Buchanan recorded thirty of the sub-species in the forests, marking Yala as the world's largest leopard population to inhabit one area. Despite Yala East being largely off-limits, Yala West makes up for it by its ever-changing landscape montage that stretches from dense jungles to brackish lagoons abounded by the South-eastern sea.

The leopards are not, however, the only fauna worth seeing in the park. 

 Elephants come a close second, as do deer, wild boars and sloth bears. Smaller mammalian species include the black-naped hare, a variety of mongooses, porcupines and grey langurs. Avian life is also abundant, recording over 140 species sighted within the grounds, from great birds of prey such as eagles and hawks to a variety of storks and jungle fowls as well as gorgeously-plumed birds such as Paradise Flycatchers, pink flamingos and strutting peacocks.

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Viharamahadevi Park

Viharamahadevi Park, located at Cinnamon Gardens, is a lovely patch of greenery in the middle of Colombo. It is on the opposite site of the road from the Colombo Town Hall.

Like many roads and places in Colombo, the Viharamahadevi Park is a rename of a park created by the British. Originally named Victoria Park after Queen Victoria, it was renamed in 1958 in honour of a different queen, a Sri Lankan one rather than a British. This is quite similar to what happens in former British colonies. I suppose the name Viharamahadevi was chosen so that the initials V.P. can be retained. I visited the park with members of AsiaExplorers during our tour of Sri Lanka.

Viharamahadevi, the girl who would be queen, was born poor, and was cast adrift as a sacrifice to favour the gods. she was rescued off the coast at Kirinda by King Kavantissa, who took her as his wife. Her only significance in history is for having a son, Dutugemunu, who managed to wrestle Anuradhapura back from the conquering Cholas of South India and united Sri Lanka for the first time.