Nature & Wildlife · Protected Areas
Forests & National Parks
From misty rainforest to dry-zone scrub and lake-dotted plains, Sri Lanka’s protected areas guard a remarkable diversity of habitats.
6 min read
An educational feature from the Nature & Wildlife collection.
01
Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Sinharaja is the country’s last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. Inscribed by UNESCO in 1988, it is home to a high proportion of the island’s endemic trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles and birds.
02
Yala National Park
Yala in the south-east combines scrub jungle, lagoons and coastline. It is renowned for its leopards, elephants and sloth bears, and also protects ancient monastic ruins.
03
Wilpattu National Park
Wilpattu, in the north-west, is Sri Lanka’s largest national park. It is known for its villus — natural lakes filled by rainwater — which attract wildlife throughout the year.
04
Knuckles Mountain Range
The Knuckles range, named for peaks resembling clenched knuckles, contains cloud forests and grasslands. It forms part of UNESCO’s Central Highlands World Heritage Site.
Did you know
Interesting facts
01
Sinharaja became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
02
Wilpattu is the largest national park in Sri Lanka.
03
The Knuckles range is part of the Central Highlands World Heritage Site (2010).
References & further reading
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Sinharaja Forest Reserve
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Central Highlands of Sri Lanka
- Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka
- Forest Department of Sri Lanka
Content is summarised from the sources above for educational purposes. LANKA. is an independent publication.
