Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka

Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka

Wilpattu National Park Sri Lanka

Wilpattu National Park is located on the island of Sri Lanka, in the northwest coast lowland dry zone. Its most distinctive feature is the presence of “Willus” (natural lakes) – sand-rimmed natural water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. The park lies about 30 km west of Anuradhapura and 26 km north of Puttalam, approximately 180 km north of Colombo. Covering 1,317 square kilometers (131,693 hectares) and ranging from 0 to 152 meters above sea level, Wilpattu contains nearly 106 lakes (Willu) and tanks scattered throughout the area. Wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest national parks in Sri Lanka, and is world-renowned for its leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) population. A remote camera survey conducted by the Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust from July to October 2015 photo-captured 49 individual leopards in the surveyed area, with core area leopard densities comparable to those in Yala National Park’s Block I and Horton Plains National Park. From December 1988 to March 16, 2003, the park was closed due to security concerns related to the Sri Lankan Civil War, reopening to visitors 16 years later. Today, visitor access is limited to about 25% of the park, with the remainder consisting mainly of dense forest and scrub. The most popular time to visit is between February and October, though private eco-tourism operators run safaris year-round.
Recommended airport
Sigiriya Airport (GIU)
Nearby destinations
  • Anuradhapura a 41.62 km
  • Kalpitiya a 39.58 km