Lunugamwehera National Park is the immediate catchment of Lunugamwehera reservoir. The park serves as a link between the Yala Protected Area Complex on its east and Udawalawe National Park to its west and facilitates the ranging of elephants to and from areas such as Haldummulla and Koslanda in Uva and the southern region of Sri Lanka.
Location
This National Park falls within the divisional secretaries' (DS) divisions of Thanamalwila, Wellawaya, Kataragama and Buttala in Moneragala district and DS divisions of Lunugamwehera in Hambantota district.
Access
The park office is situated at Lunugamwehera on Wellawaya-Hambantota road. The other entrance on Buttala-Kataragama road at Galge Wildlife beat office point (entrance to Yala Block III & IV). There are two main access routesto the park Head quarters from Colombo.
- Via Ratnapura, Udawalawe, Thanamalwila to Lunugamwehera (approximately 231Km)
- Via Hambantota, Tissamaharama Thanamalwila to Lunugamwehera (approximately 265Km)
lying in the dry zone, conditions are characterized by an annual drought coinciding with the south-west monsoon. The physiography of the park is characterized by a vast featureless gently undulating plain with rock knob plains generally occupying the slightly elevated areas in south. The park is located at an average elevation of 91m with Sittarama being the highest peak of 290m.
The total extent of the park is 23,498ha. A significant area (14%) of the park is occupied by the Lunugamwehera reservoir. At full capacity the reservoir occupies 3,283ha and other small tanks within the park cover an area of 50ha. Thus the total dry land area of the park is 20,156ha.
Climate
The climate in the park is characterized by a bimodal seasonal rainfall pattern and uniform high temperature conditions. The average annual rainfall at Thanamalwila is about 1000mm and the rainfall in the park area decreases from north to south and west to east. The annual average temperature is about 30 C.
Date and Histry of Establishment
The park established on 08th December 1995.
Vegetation
The vegetation includes different types of forest succession along with scrub/grasslands mosaics. The shifting (chena) cultivation has caused degradation of the forest communities to open thorny shrub and grassland communities. The dense forest is dry mixed evergreen forest.
Fauna
Twenty one (21) fish species, 12 amphibians, 33 reptiles, 184 birds and 43 mammals were recorded. The teak plantations are frequented by the elephants Elephas maximus.
Visitors and Visitor Facilities
Currently no luxury facilities available close to the park proximity and visitors should either stay in Tissamaharama or Hambantota to access the park.
Hotels
Tissamaharama Priyankara Hotels (Pvt) Ltd.
Tissamaharama Rest House
Yala Safari Beach Hotel
Browns Safari Beach Hotel
Chandrika Guest House
Flamingo Bundala Safari Guest House
Hotel Tissa
Lakeside Tourist Inn
New Queens Rest House
Singha Tourist Inn
Tissa Inn
Tissa Village Inn
Hambantota Peacock Beach Hotel
The Oasis Hotel
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