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Flood Plains National Park

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Flood Plains National Park
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Spanning the Mahaweli Ganga and situated between Wasgomuwa and Somawathiya Chaitiya National Park, the Flood Plains National Park is central to the integrity of the Mahaweli system of protected areas, both for its unique ‘villus’ and as a corridor for wildlife migration between grazing lands in both bordering protected areas. It is a great location for spotting a wide variety of resident and migratory waterfowl bird species.

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    • Overview
    • Bundala National Park
    • Flood Plains National Park
    • Gal Oya National Park
    • Horton Plains National Park
    • Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary
    • Kumana National Park (Yala East)
    • Lahugala National Park
    • Lunugamvehera National Park
    • Maduru Oya National Park
    • Minneriya National Park
    • Somawathiya National Park
    • The Knuckles Range
    • The Sinharaja Rainforest
    • Udawalawe National Park
    • Wasgamuwa National Park
    • Wilpattu National Park
    • Yala National Park

At present, Flood Plains National Park is closed to general visitors in order to enable more effective wildlife conservation.

The area was declared a national park in August of 1984, the same time as neighbouring Wasgomuwa, and covers an area of around 17,350 hectares. The floodplains which dominate the park provide the rich alluvial soil that flanks the Mahaweli Ganga and they are characterised by numerous shallow marshy depressions called villus. The prolonged periods of flooding in these low-lying areas are responsible for the exceptionally high level of primary productivity found here, with species such as water lettuce, kumbuk and rattan cane just some of many to be found here.

The rich vegetation in the villus attracts large numbers of grazing animals and birds, supporting a higher annual biomass than any other type of habitat within the Mahaweli Development Project area. The floodplains are an important habitat for the Asian elephant as well as providing a corridor for the elephants of Wasgomuwa and Somawathiya Chaitiya to move between the two parks. Fishing, jungle and rusty-spotted cats and wild boar are also present, along with water buffalo and many species of deer. For reptile lovers, the villus supports a large population of herpetofauna including natricine water snakes and mugger and estuarine crocodiles.

The floodplains here are particularly important, however, for the diversity and abundance of their avifauna and particularly migrant birds. It is estimated that around 75 migrant species spend their winter in the marshes of the national park with the marsh sandpiper, Asiatic golden plover, osprey and painted stork among others commonly seen.

To learn more about the destination, see our Sri Lanka travel guide.

 

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  • Destinations
    • South Asia
      • Sri Lanka
      • The Maldives
      • India
      • Bhutan
    • South East Asia
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
      • Cambodia
      • Laos
      • Myanmar
      • Indonesia
      • Borneo
    • Middle East
      • Oman
  • Holidays in Sri Lanka
    • Classic Sri Lanka Holidays
    • Family Holidays
    • Sri Lanka & Maldives Holidays
    • Ultimate Holidays
    • Nature & Wildlife Holidays
    • Off the Beaten Track
    • Slow Holidays
  • Guide to Sri Lanka
    • Sri Lanka Guide
    • Weather & When to go
    • Hotel inspiration
    • Experiences inspiration
    • Sri Lanka Travel Blog
  • Places in Sri Lanka
    • Regions of Sri Lanka
      • Overview
      • The Cultural Triangle
      • Colombo, Negombo & Around
      • Kandy and Around
      • The Hill Country
      • West Coast Beaches
      • Galle and Around
      • The South Coast
      • Puttalam & the North West
      • The East Coast
      • Jaffna & The North
    • National Parks & Sancturaries
      • Overview
      • Bundala National Park
      • Flood Plains National Park
      • Gal Oya National Park
      • Horton Plains National Park
      • Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary
      • Kumana National Park (Yala East)
      • Lahugala National Park
      • Lunugamvehera National Park
      • Maduru Oya National Park
      • Minneriya National Park
      • Somawathiya National Park
      • The Knuckles Range
      • The Sinharaja Rainforest
      • Udawalawe National Park
      • Wasgamuwa National Park
      • Wilpattu National Park
      • Yala National Park
  • About us
    • Why choose ETG?
    • Our Story
    • Meet the Team
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