Wilpattu National Park

Wilpattu is one of the largest national parks in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is situated 176 kms north of Colombo. It is located 30km west Anuradhapura and 26 km north of Puttalam. It is 131,693 hectares large and It has more than 50 lakes (Willu) and tanks. The annual rainfall is about 1000 mm and annual temperature is about 27.2 degrees Celsius

There are elephant, sloth bear, leopard, water buffalo, sambhur, spotted deer, mongoose, mouse and shrew mostly living in Wilpattu.

You can watch birds like painted stork, the open bill, little cormorant, owls, gulls, eagles, pin tail, purple heron and more.

The most common reptiles found in the Wilpattu are the Monitor lizard, Mugger crocodile, common cobra, ratsnake, Indian python, pond turtle and soft shelled turtle.

You can visit their by train from Colombo and also by bus. Or you can use your own vehicle to reach their. To watch wild animals, visitors must hire a tourist cab.