Kaudulla National Park is a newly established national park in Sri Lanka governed by the department of wildlife conservation. It is situated in the Polonnaruwa district, 197 km away from the capital, Colombo. Habarana is the closest town to the Kaudulla National Park with a distance of 22km. Furthermore, it is 39km away from Polonnaruwa city.
Kudulla National Park was designated as a national park in 2002. It was the 15th such national park in the country, covering an almost 6900 ha area. Hurulu Eco Lodge and Minneriya National Park are two neighbors to the Kaudulla National Park, where they are located very close.
Sri Lankan elephants are the major attraction of the Kaudulla National Park. From August to December, visitors can see large groups of elephants near the Kaudulla Tank. They migrate there to find water and food. For that season, the elephants also migrate to the Minneriya Nationa Park, where it is considered Asia’s largest elephant gathering place. Therefore, a lot of elephant lovers come to Kaudulla to see this beautiful incident of nature too.
In any case, visitors to the Kaudulla can see Sri Lankan Sambar deer, Sri Lankan Jungle Fowl, wild boar, sloth bear, and leopards.It is home to a large number of wild animals, including 24 mammal species, 160 bird species, 9 amphibian species, 25 reptile species, 26 fish species, and 75 butterfly species.
It receives almost 1500mm of average annual rainfall and its average temperature is nearly 26°C. The November to February period is considered the rainy season in the area. So, September is considered the best month to visit Kaudulla National Park.
Going on a safari tour to the Kaudulla is a nice experience to get if you love Sri Lankan elephants. There you can find safari tour providers around the Habarana. You need to pay an entrance fee to enter the National Park. The place is just close to the Sri Lankan Cultural Triangle, so you can go there during your Anuarapahura, Polonnaruwa, or Sigiriya visits.
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(Featured Image Credit: ©Dulani Dissanayake photography )