Wilpattu or the “land of lakes” is the largest national park in Sri Lanka with a land area of nearly 131,000 hectares. The park consists of lakes, large grass plains, thick forest and open white sand patches that make it one of the most beautiful National Parks in the country. The thick forest cover allows visitors a very comfortable drive even during mid-day.
It is closely associated with the history of Sri Lanka. The arrival of Prince Vijaya, from India and the commencement of the Sinhala race as documented in the Mahavamsa, landed at Kudurimalai point on the Northern boundary of the park in 543 BC. Artifacts dating from the Bronze Age with clay burial sites and other ruins can still be seen in the park.
“Willy” as it is more affectionately known by locals is associated with leopards, and was once the premier park in the world for daylight viewing of this enigmatic cat. Unfortunately the park was closed for many years due to the civil war with the consequence that much of its wildlife was poached. Fortunately, Wilpattu is once again staking a claim as one of the best places in the world to have unhindered and undisturbed leopard sightings. Your best chance of seeing the elusive sloth bear in Sri Lanka is also at Wilpattu particularly during the wet season and fruiting season. “The Land of the lakes” is a birders paradise with many species of resident and migrant birds, many species of deer and large herds of elephants during the dry season. The park is also host to Crocodiles, Buffalo and many smaller species that will make your safari an enriching and interesting experience.
Wilpattu is also a great place for bird watching with many resident and migratory species found in the park. The endemic Ceylon Jungle Fowl and Ceylon Grey Hornbill are frequently seen as well as the threatened Lesser Adjutant Stork and Spot-billed Pelican. Laying claim to the best song bird in the island the White-rumped Shama too is very easily seen in Wilpattu. Raptors like the White-bellied Sea Eagle, the Serpent Eagle, the Changeable Hawk Eagle and the Grey-headed Fish Eagle are often encountered on a safari in Wilpattu. The occasional Brown Fish owl can also be seen.
List of what you might see (not an exhaustive list)
*Endemic
| Birds | Mammals & Other |
| Black Drongo Black-headed Ibis Brahminy Kite Brown Fish Owl Common Kingfisher Crested Hawk Eagle Crested Serpent Eagle Gray Egret Gray-headed Fish Eagle Great Egret Green Imperial Pigeon Indian Cormorant Indian Palm Swift Indian Peacock Lesser Whistling Teal Little Egret Malabar Pied Hornbill Medium Egret Open-billed Stock Orange-breasted Green Pigeon Painted Stock Red Wattled Lapwing Rose-ringed Parakeet Small Minivet Spotted Dove Sri Lanka Gray Hornbill* Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl* Sri Lankan Paradise flycatcher White-bellied Sea Eagle White-breasted Kingfisher White-necked Stock White-rumped Munia White-rumped Shama |
Barking Deer Golden Jackal Gray Langur Indian Gray Mongoose Indian Palm Squirrel Land Mointor Lizard Mugger Crocodile Ruddy Mongoose Sambar Sloth Bear Spotted Deer Sri Lanka Gaint Squirrel Sri Lankan Elephant Sri Lankan Leopard Toque monkey White-napped Hare Wild Boar Wild Buffalo Star Tortise Flapshell Turtle Parker’s Black Turtle |