Uda Walawe National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. The reserve covers 306 km² and was established in 1972 to protect the catchment of the Uda Walawe reservoir. The habitat is open parkland, with some mature teak trees along the river.This popular reserve has more than 400 wild Asian Elephants, which are relatively easy to see in this open habitat. Udawalawe also has a dozen or so Leopards, although seeing them requires considerable luck. There are good numbers of Crocodiles, Golden Jackals, Water Buffalo and Grey Langurs amongst other large animals.
Park consists of dry lowland forest, riverine forest, thorny scrublands and grasslands. One special attraction of the park is the Udawalawe reservoir and the Walawe River which flows through the park.
Udawalawe National Park is world famous for its large Elephant populations. In this park one can observe elephants at any given time of the day. Other than Elephants water buffalo, spotted & barking deer, wild boar, jackal & ruddy, grey & striped necked mongoose are also found in this park. Though the leopards in the park sightings are very rare.
The park is also famous for birdlife. Crested serpent eagle, changeable hawk eagle, white-bellied sea eagle & grey-headed fishing eagle are the main raptors found in the park. Painted stork, open bill, little & Indian cormorant, Indian darter, many species of waders are also found within the park. Among the forest birds are the warblers, Sri Lanka Jungle fowl, Malabar pied hornbill, Sikir Malkoha, Blue face Malkoha, common Caucal, and grey hornbill. The open parkland attracts birds of prey such as White-bellied Sea Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Fish Eagle,Booted eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle and the wetlands have waders and Painted Storks. Land birds are in abundance, and include Indian Roller, Indian Peafowl, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Pied Cuckoo.
Elephant transit Camp in Udawalawe (Within close proximity to Udawalawe National Park)
When orphaned elephant calves are found anywhere in Sri Lanka, they may be taken to the Elephant Transit Home, located within the Udawalawe National Park where they are cared for until ready for release to the wild.
Calves are hand reared but contact with humans is limited to individual caregivers. The young elephants are encouraged to browse on natural foods as soon as they are healthy, reducing the amount of contact with humans. They can then be integrated into herds when they are weaned at three years of age. Once a group of elephants has socially bonded, it is ready for release.
Herds of four to eleven elephants are released in various parts of Udawalawe National Park. Generally these groups stay together for several months, and then disperse into wild herds within the park. Several members of each released group are radio collared so that they can be tracked to ensure that they are reintegrating successfully into the wild elephant population.
Because the Elephant Transit Home is able to release animals into the national park, there is some protection provided as they learn to live in the wild.
The presence of wild elephant herds within Udawalawe has meant that many of the orphaned calves that are released are adopted into a wild herd with experienced adult animals to aid their transition. Caring for elephant calves for three or more years is expensive. Born Free Foundation manages an adoption project that aids in covering those expenses. The Department of Wildlife Conservation also accepts donations to the program.
The need for the Elephant Transit Home’s efforts in returning Sri Lankan elephants to the wild is not going to go away. Their success in transitioning young elephants into Udawalawe National Park may someday be mirrored in other parts of the country, preserving an endangered species that has long been associated with the Sri Lanka.
