Chundikkulam National Park

Lore & Background

Chundikkulam Lagoon and its surroundings were first protected as a bird sanctuary on 25 February 1938 under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance of 1937. During the Sri Lankan Civil War, the area was re-captured from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in January 2009 by the Sri Lanka Army's 55 Division. After the war, the military built bases in the sanctuary, barred local fishermen and residents, and opened the Chundikulam Nature Park Holiday Resort in January 2012.

Following the civil war, the government planned to convert several northern sanctuaries into national parks. An Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment published in October 2014 recommended extending Chundikkulam sanctuary westwards towards Elephant Pass and south-eastwards towards Chalai and Pallamatalan, increasing its area from 11,149 ha to 19,565 ha. In May 2015 the government announced the upgrade, and Chundikkulam became a national park on 22 June 2015 with the expanded area.

The park's lagoon is partly surrounded by mangrove swamps and sea grass beds, with surrounding palmyra palm plantations, scrub forests, and dry zone flora. It hosts numerous bird species including greater flamingo, painted stork, and Eurasian spoonbill, as well as mammals like leopard, sloth bear, and deer, and both mugger and saltwater crocodiles.

Reader's Guide

Chundikkulam National Park represents a significant conservation area in northern Sri Lanka, transitioning from a colonial-era bird sanctuary to a larger national park after the civil war. Its designation in 2015 was part of a broader government initiative to protect biodiversity in the Northern Province, supported by the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Environment Programme. The park's expansion absorbed nearby state-owned forests, increasing its ecological coverage.

The park's importance lies in its diverse habitats—lagoon, mangrove swamps, sea grass beds, and dry zone forests—which support a wide array of bird species, including migratory waders and waterfowl, as well as larger mammals like leopards and sloth bears. The presence of both mugger and saltwater crocodiles adds to its ecological value.

However, the park's history is intertwined with the Sri Lankan Civil War, as the area was a conflict zone and later used for military bases and a holiday resort, restricting local access. This legacy highlights the complex relationship between conservation, conflict, and community rights. The park remains a key site for birdwatching and biodiversity research in Sri Lanka.

Did You Know?

• The park's area was expanded from 11,149 ha to 19,565 ha when it became a national park in 2015.
• Both mugger crocodile and saltwater crocodile have been seen in the park.
• The Sri Lanka Army opened the Chundikulam Nature Park Holiday Resort in the sanctuary in January 2012.

A Park Within a Tourism Ecosystem

Sri Lanka's tourism infrastructure is organized through the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, which has carved the island into distinct resort regions designed to channel visitors toward specific experiences. From the business-and-conference hub of Colombo and Greater Colombo, through the sun-drenched stretches of the South and East Coasts, to the misty High Country and the ancient cities of Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Kandy, Polonnaruwa, and Sigiriya, each zone offers a different slice of the island's appeal. A national park such as Chundikkulam sits within this carefully mapped landscape, benefiting from the same international draw that pulls millions of visitors toward the country's natural and cultural treasures. The 'Other Resort Regions' category, which encompasses areas like Yala, Udawalawa, and the Knuckles Range, signals that protected natural spaces are explicitly woven into the national tourism strategy rather than treated as afterthoughts. For a park, this means it is not merely a quiet green corner but a recognized node in a system that has, in recent years, welcomed over two million international guests annually.

From Bureau to Authority: The Institutional Framework

The governance of tourism in Sri Lanka carries a long, layered history that directly shapes the environment in which a national park operates. The first formal government body, the Ceylon Tourist Bureau, was established in 1937 but was shuttered just two years later when World War II consumed national resources. After independence, the Ceylon Tourist Board assumed those promotional duties, and in 1965–1966, Minister of State J. R. Jayewardene pushed through landmark legislation—the Ceylon Tourist Board Act and the Ceylon Hotels Corporation Act—that created dedicated state agencies for development and accommodation. By the time the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority replaced the older board in 2007 under the Tourism Act of 2005, the institutional scaffolding was already decades deep. This continuity matters for a park like Chundikkulam because it means the site benefits from a regulatory and promotional apparatus refined over nearly a century, from wartime closures through post-civil-war reconstruction to the present day.

Boom, Bust, and Comeback: Economic Rhythms

The economic life of Sri Lanka's tourism sector has followed a dramatic arc that ripples out to every destination, including national parks. In 2018 the industry hit a high-water mark with 2.33 million international arrivals spending a combined US$5.6 billion, driven by visitors from India, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, China, Australia, and France. Then the pandemic struck: 2020 saw arrivals collapse by 92 percent, and in January 2021 the country reopened under a strict 'bio bubble' protocol that confined tourists to certified hotels and designated sites, limiting their interaction with local communities. A controversial pilot project brought in Ukrainian visitors before the official relaunch, and the first full month of the new regime recorded only 5,048 arrivals. Yet by 2025 the sector had not merely recovered but surpassed its 2018 peak, reaching approximately 2.36 million visitors. For a park, these swings translate into periods of full guesthouses and long queues, followed by months of near-total silence, and then a renewed surge of curiosity-driven travelers.

Natural Wonders in a Broader Mosaic

Sri Lanka's visitor attractions are broadly divided into natural and anthropogenic categories, and a national park like Chundikkulam belongs firmly to the former. Natural attractions encompass scenic landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, and areas blessed with a pleasant climate, while geotourism sites may also fall under this umbrella. These sit alongside the island's five UNESCO world heritage cities—Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Kandy, Polonnaruwa, and Sigiriya—and the coastal resort stretches running from Kalutara all the way to Hambantota. Domestic tourism adds another vital layer: in 2014 alone, six million Sri Lankans traveled within the country, favoring destinations such as Anuradhapura, Kataragama, Nuwara Eliya, and Sigiriya, with activity spiking during school holidays and weekends. A park thus operates within a dual audience—international travelers drawn by the promise of wildlife and untouched scenery, and local families seeking a weekend escape from urban routine. Both groups contribute to the park's role as a living showcase of the island's ecological heritage.