Maduru Oya National Park

This new park is designed to protect the immediate catchments of five reservoir, developed under the accelerated Mahaweli Development Programme. Conservation of these catchments is crucial to the success of the project. The park area provides refuge for wildlife, particularly elephants.
Locations
Lies between the Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa road and Mahiyangana-Padiyatalawa road in the districts of Ampara, Badulla and Polonnaruwa and spans the border between Eastern and Uva provinces. It is surrounded on the west and north by Mahaweli development areas and on the south and east by tea plantations and jungle, which are subjected to repeated slash and burn practices. Main access, from the north is 25Km by road from Manampitiya, located in the Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa highway.
Access
The easiest and most practical route from Colombo is via Kurunegala, Dambulla, Habarana, Polonnaruwa and Manampitiya. It is approximately 265Km from Colombo.
The dominant topographic feature is the 8Km long range of rocky mountains in the south-west of the park. Water bodies, constituting over 15% of the park, include the Maduru Oya, Ulhitiya, Ratkinda, NDK and Henanigala reservoirs and tributes of Mahaweli and Maduru Oya river systems. The area of the park is 58,850ha. It is proposed to link the park with Gal Oya National Park(25,000ha) in the south via Nilgala jungle corridor (10,360ha). Major part of the park area lies between 30m and 150m. Maximum altitude is 685m.
The park is located entirely within Sri Lanka’s dry zone, although its southern edge borders on the intermediate zone. The climax community of the area is tropical dry mixed evergreen forest. However, a major part of the forest within the park had been heavily exploited in the past for shifting cultivation. This has resulted in areas of secondary vegetation and vast stretches of open plains, dominated by the grasses.
The park is important for its rich wildlife, which includes a variety of endemic species. Threatened species of mammals include elephant (Elephas maximus) of which there were 150-250 prior to the park’s establishment, sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). The rich aquatic avifauna gives additional beauty to this environment with forest species which doubles it. Other species like reptiles, fishes, amphibians and butterflies also can be seen during a visit.
Visitors and Visitor facilities
There are two circuit bungalows and one dormitory at park office in front of Maduru Oya reservoir. Ulhitiya camp site is available for nature lovers.