Kaudulla National Park

Lore & Background

Kaudulla National Park was historically one of 16 irrigation tanks built by King Mahasen. After a period of abandonment, the tank was reconstructed in 1959, which revived the area's ability to attract and support a variety of plant and animal life. The park's vegetation represents Sri Lanka's dry evergreen forests, with dominant tree species including Manilkara hexandra, Chloroxylon swietenia, and Vitex altissima. Chena cultivation and grasslands surround the tank area, and phytoplankton such as blue green algae and diatoms are present in the tank.

Reader's Guide

Kaudulla National Park matters as a protected area that supports a rich diversity of wildlife, including 24 mammal species, 25 reptile species, 26 fish species, and 160 bird species. It is particularly notable for its population of Sri Lankan elephants, which move to the Kaudulla tank around September in search of water and food. In 2008, 211 elephants were counted in the park. The park is also one of the few sites in Sri Lanka where the gray slender loris is reportedly found, and it is possibly the only national park in the country to have albino axis deer. Large water birds such as the spot-billed pelican and lesser adjutant visit the Kaudulla tank. The park faces conservation challenges from invasive species like Lantana camara, but the Kaudulla-Minneriya jungle corridor was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2004 to help protect wildlife movement. In the 2004–2005 season, more than 10,000 people visited the park, generating Rs.100,000 from entrance fees.

Did You Know?

• Kaudulla was designated a national park on April 1, 2002, becoming the 15th such area in Sri Lanka.
• Historically, Kaudulla was one of 16 irrigation tanks built by King Mahasen and was reconstructed in 1959 after a period of abandonment.
• In 2008, 211 elephants were counted in Kaudulla National Park.
• Kaudulla is probably the only national park in Sri Lanka to have albino axis deer.

Ancient Waters, Modern Protection

Kaudulla's story stretches back to the reign of King Mahasen, who commissioned one of sixteen irrigation tanks across the island. For centuries after its construction, the tank fell into disuse, its waters receding and its banks overgrown. It was not until 1959 that the structure was rebuilt, restoring its capacity to hold water and sustain the surrounding landscape. That rehabilitation set the stage for what would eventually become a protected wilderness. On April 1, 2002, the Sri Lankan government formally designated the area as a national park, making it the fifteenth such designation on the island. Situated roughly 197 kilometres from Colombo, the park quickly drew attention from visitors and researchers alike. In the 2004–2005 season alone, more than ten thousand people passed through its gates, contributing one hundred thousand rupees in entrance-fee revenue. The park's dual identity—as both a relic of ancient hydraulic engineering and a modern conservation site—gives it a distinctive place among Sri Lanka's protected areas.

A Climate That Shapes Life

The park sits within Sri Lanka's dry zone, where annual rainfall typically falls between 1,500 and 2,000 millimetres, fed in part by the north-east monsoon. A pronounced dry stretch runs from April through October, during which temperatures can climb as high as 34.5 degrees Celsius, though they rarely dip below 20.6. This seasonal rhythm governs nearly every aspect of the ecosystem. In the wet months, a profusion of grasses and plant species flourishes across the dry evergreen forest and the chena-cultivated lands that fringe the tank. Yet even through the dry period, the water held in the reconstructed reservoir provides enough food and liquid to draw large numbers of herbivorous mammals to the area. The tank's phytoplankton community—comprising blue-green algae, Microcystis species, and diatoms like Melosira—forms the base of an aquatic food web that supports fish and waterfowl. Dominant canopy trees such as Manilkara hexandra, Chloroxylon swietenia, and Vitex altissima shade the surrounding woodland, while ground-level vegetation includes Randia dumetorum, Calotropis gigantea, Imperata cylindrica, and Panicum maximum.

A Gathering of Species

Kaudulla supports a remarkably diverse assemblage of fauna: twenty-four mammal species, twenty-five reptiles, twenty-six fish, and one hundred sixty birds. The park is perhaps best known for its elephants, which migrate from the Minneriya tank around September in search of water and forage as the dry season deepens. Despite ongoing human-elephant conflict, the dry-zone population has grown, with two hundred eleven individuals recorded in Kaudulla as recently as 2008. Other mammals include Sri Lankan sambar and axis deer, chevrotain, wild boar, leopard, and sloth bear, while the gray slender loris is also reportedly present. One of the park's most remarkable sightings was a two-month-old albino axis deer calf, abandoned by its mother, making Kaudulla possibly the only Sri Lankan national park to harbor albino axis deer. The tank itself hosts spot-billed pelicans and lesser adjutants, the freshwater fish Oreochromis mossambicus, and the endemic amphibian Fejervarya pulla. Among reptiles, the Indian flap-shelled turtle and Indian black turtle stand out.

Guarding the Corridor

Conservation at Kaudulla faces both internal and external pressures. The spread of the invasive plant Lantana camara has been identified as a growing threat to native wildlife, encroaching on the habitats that the park's diverse species depend upon. Recognizing the ecological value of the link between Kaudulla and its neighbor Minneriya, authorities declared the jungle corridor connecting the two parks a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2004, a move that helps preserve the seasonal elephant migration and broader dry-zone biodiversity. BirdLife International, alongside the designations for Minneriya and Girithale, has classified Kaudulla as an Important Bird Area, underscoring its significance for avian populations. The park's role as a seasonal water source during the dry months makes it a critical node in a larger landscape of interconnected habitats. Protecting that connectivity—while managing invasive species and mitigating human-wildlife conflict—remains central to the park's long-term viability.