WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK (WILLU-PATTU)

 Wilpattu nation park located in the northwest coast lowland dry zone of sri lanka. the unique feature of this park is the existence of 'willus' (natural lakes)-natural,sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater.

The park is located 30 km west anuradapura and located 26 km north of puttalam ( approximately 180 km north of colombo). the park is 131,693 hectares and ranges from 0 to 152 meters above sea level.

Nearly sixty lakes (willu) and tanks are found spread throughout wilpattu.wilpattu is the largest and one of the oldest national parks in srilanka.

The leopard (panthera pardus kotiya) population.the leopard population in wilpattu is still not yet known. apart from srilankan leopard wilpattu is one of the best places to spot the sloth bear.

THE NUMBER OF ELEPHANTS IN WILPATTU

 

name of the park                      size in sq,km                                  number of elephant

• wipattu                            1,316.9                                             100-150
• ruhuna(yala)                    1,267.8                                             300-350
• gal oya                             629.4                                                150-200
• maduru oya                      588.5                                                150-200

 

Many elephants are found in wipattu forest.they have managed to win the hearts of foreign tourists.

what type of forest is in wilpattu?

In wilpattu,there are three types of vegetation; littoral vegetation,including salt grass and low scrub immediately adjacent to the beach,and monsoon forest with tall emergents,such as palu (manilkara hexandra),and satin(chloroxylon swietenia),milla (vitex altissima),weera (grypetes sepiaria), ebony (diospyros ebenum) and wewarna is seen.

• Wilpattu national park attracts tourists from all over the world.wilpattu, a natural gift, is a sri lankan cultural heritage.