Once, turning left from the Colombo – Embilipitiya main road’s thimbolketiya junction & proceed towards Monaragala 5 kilometers, you can reach this famous national park.
History behind the park:-
There are imminent recordings of the place relating to its history. One such is that the ‘Neelamaha yodaya’ had involved in agriculture within this area during king gajaba’s period. Still, surrounding area and places inside the park have clearly envisaged the aristocracy of the place.
Ruined buildings and stone pillars are found at wehera Mankada & Weheragolla within the park and ‘Reminikota’ situated close to the village Panahaduwa is also a round vihara.
There are ample of evidence that kaltota & Sandagiriya which were situaded at park boundary were ancient kingdoms and the archeological examinations show that there would here been a ‘Dalada Maligawa” at Sandagiriya..
There are villages which were actively populated before 1972 within the park & Muwanpelessa neboda which would have been very prosperous at that stage. coconut, Jack and domesticated trees cultivated thence can still be seen. this region’s residers were given alternative lands and were removed at the park establshing process.
Though a proper archeological study is still lacking, the related archeological remnants/ ruins and ancient folklore can be found adamantly.
Considering the whole as a segregation, it can neverthelus can infer that there was a proud history connecting the arena.
The present situation of the National park:-
a geographical area spanning 30,821hactares (chapter 469) as a National park especially as the much valued watershed area of the Udawalawa Reservoir since it’s creation and thence to protect the faunal diversity comprising elephant and other animals.
This National Park has obtaind a huge National & international fame & it’s management continued according to the rules & regulations applied by the DWLC under the FFPO.
TViscinity
The park is boundary wise restricted to the sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces, Rathnapura & Monaragala District administratively. At the same time to five (5) divisional secretariats namely Embilipitiya Balangoda, Weligepola, Sevanagala and Thanamalvila. coosidering the geograpical positioning it’s situated between 6025-63035 North Latitudes and between 80045’-81000’eastern longitudes.
The Geograpical limits which were estabilished at boundary demarcation were given below.
Northern :- Kuilinda ara, Katupatha ara, and diyavini oya
Southern :- Uawalawa, Thanamalvila main rood
Eastorn :- Pokunuthenna, Kaudik ara, Mauara, Bellangala, Mountain range and
Weheragala
Western :- Thimbolketiya, Panahaduwa, Galpaya,a and Welanketiya.
Geograpgcal background
This national park is situated 60-400 meters of height and within these heigts thereare ample of planes with solitary rock out crops and rocky sheets.
Kaltota- Bellangala mountain range is situated to the north of the park and rock creepers and out crops like Reminikota and Thaligala can be seen within the western sides ulgala kanda area further, Bambaragala and sankapala ranges can be seen within the western boundary.
Considering the geo-scientific features of the park, there is a huge diversity of rocks owned to the vijayan series and Precambrian series can be seen here. When quarts and feldspar presents ashy-white complexion and there are various types of originated ingredients, Garnet type, garnet- Biotrte type, quartz, granitic type. Calcite, vernokit type are prominent amongst them.
Among the soil types within the park, walawe series,Malabotu series, are prominent. The Reddish-brown soil type becomes prominent here as a whole and in the vicinity of river valleys and water bodies the ashy dry soil can be seen.
The climate condition
This park is situated adjoined to Districts with both wet & dry conditions.wet characteristics can be seen within the area close to Rathnapura district ; while the region owned by Monaragala District shows dry condition.still,intermediate climate condition can also be seen here.
The park gains rain from south- west Monsoon at April –May and, from North-East monsoon of October –November.
The annual rainfall as a whole is counted to be 1524mm and the dry condition awail at February/March and May/September due to no rain.
The temperature fluctuation shows a clear difference at the park. According to the studies,done so far , the minimum temperature is 17.7 c and maximum temperature is 37.2 c .The humidity of the park generaly is 94%-95%.
According to the studies done with the speed of wind May 5.7,June 6.3;july 5.7 are the speed of the wind during inter- monsoon and North – East monsoon comparably is less.Thus,the minimum wind velocity is 3.1 km/h at November to the observations.
The drainage pattern of the park and park proximity
The main river is the “walawe” .Mauara flows amidst the park and the Udawalawa Reservoir was constructed across the river Walawe.Hambegamuwa wewa and Mauara Reservoir with gal amuna Resoervoir has been constructed crossing the Mau Ara.River Walawe flows within the western boundary of the park and mau ara flows within the Eastern boundary.
River Walawe owes with it 1155 square kilometer area of the park with sub streams in numbers like Katupathoya ,kudaoya ,Kivul ara,Malakandura,Mauara ,Habaraluara and kaudili ara joins it.
It’s importence that the Hambegamuwa wewa,nourished by the mau ara and the Kalawelgala wewa ,mounted by the Kudaoya ,which are comparably large wave’s with water earn at dry periods are large reservoirs.
It was earlier mentioned that the present park premises was a settlement in the past.Few small tanks and ponds which were built for the agriculture purposes can still be seen.Seenuggala wewa ,Muwan pallessa Wawa ,Dangaha wewa ,kuda wewa Buruthu golla wewa,Tekka wewa are prominent amongst them.
The socio-economic back ground of the park
Udawalawa is the miraculously nourished agricultural land from the past. Paddy cultivation as the muddy cultivation and chena cultivation comprised with Tala,Menari,Kurakkan,Maige and vegetables and the huge Banana cultivation are being done. Cattle grazing is another widespread industry. Both buffalo –curd and cow curd is a big living way of cattle oweners & curd merchants.There is a hugely spreadout and widely membered inland fishing Industry within the Udawalawa-resoervoir.
Udawalawa National park is unique in the sense that the record for the most number of villagers surrounding a parks outer boundary is owned by it. there are 52 villagers in all.Due to this phenomena,the overall impact by the settlers and intruders to the animals and by the elephant and other animals to the villagers is of course ,stand at a high note.
Majority of people living in villages adjoined the park are sinhala Buddhists.Especially, certain beliefs and rituals of certain communities are specific to the walawe area itself.
The Flora of the park
The limits of the park are both geographically, climatologically earned to the Intermediate zone. Dry inter monsoon forests are the prominent forest type. But ,well established evergreen forests can be seen besides the walawa river basin. these typically demonstrates reverine forest charachteristics.There would have been a very good forest cover in the past but due to the deforestation targeting chena cultivation during 1970’s had done a great –loss and hindrance to the environment ultimatly,those cleared& disturbed area now can be seen nearly as large green lands.
The GEFF project had done observation on floral community & revealed considerable information on floral expansion.
Accordingly the data has been given below.
Have are some facts about floral species of various ecological systems of the park.
1. Primary forests
There are 15 families and 24 species were recorded
Weera (Dryperes sepiaria), Kunumella (Diospyros ovalitolia), Kuratiya (MEmecylon aenottianum), Ulkenda (Polyalthiakoriniti) become prominent.
2. Secondary forests
There are 16 families and 23 species were recorded
BataKirigalla (Erythroeylummoonii), Weliprenna (Anisophyllea cinnamomoides), Demata (Gmelina asiatica), Weera(Drypctes sepiaria)
are abundant
3.Sewana
There are 16 families and 31 species were recorded
Ginigras (Panicummaximum), Damini (Grewiadamine), Pila (Tephrosia purpurca), (Apludamutica), (Chloris Montana Eragrostis tenella) tips of glazers are abundant.
4.Open Secondary forests
There are 17 families and 31 species were recorded
Iluk (imperata Cylindrica), Katupila (Secyrinega Leucopyrous), Gadapana (Lantana Camara) abundant.
further, among the prominent timber types are Milla, (Vitexaltissima) Burutha (Chloroayin swietania), Koon (Schleichera oleasa) riperine trees like Kubuk (Terminaliaarjuna) Kunumella (Diospyrosovalifolia), Ketakela ( Brideliaretusa), Daula (Feronaialimonia) Thelambu (Sterculiafoetida) Godakirilla (Holopteleaintergrifolia) are important.
accordingly there are 135 plant species of 62 families are recovered within the park Among them 27 species of plants with herbal value.
species of plants are endemic to the country.
They are Mandora, (Hopea cordifolia), walpihccha, Indi Kor aKaha (Phenixzeylanica).
Accordingly, there are 135 species of 62 families recorded amongst them 27 species are of medicinal value.
Accordingly, there is a huge floral diversity & Eco-system Diversity..
Wild - Animals Inhabiting the park
This park is widely famed and accepted as an arena for wild Elephants. Elephants can be observed at any time of the day.
It was estimated that there are about 3500 Elephants approximately living within the Island. Another 05 species globally piring, Sri Lankan Elephant is believed to be the evolutionary topmost animal. It was estimated that there are alough 650/700 Elephants residing at UNP Amongst them about 05 are tuskers.
Both Local & foreign wild life enthusiastics visit Udawalawe mainly to see Elephants. But this, Park gives habitat to many other animal types.
Visitor Facilitation
A national Park is a wild life resever opened to common people. Entrance to it should be done by obtaining tickets at the entrance counter or else the entrance will be a misdeed.
There are few visitor bunagaloes opened to the visitors within the park. They are seenuggala, Thimbiligasmankada, Weheragolla, Gonaviddagala & pokunuthenna further, There are 4 campsites, pansadara, Pilimaaddaara Alimankada and seenuggala.
These bungalows & campsites are situated close to waterbodies and river Walawa and these, are very picturesque Places. They are to be reserved by the Department of wild life conservation as and when required.
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