Minneriya
-
General Information
District: Polonnaruwa, State: North Central, Sri Lanka
Area: 0
Languages Spoken: Sinhalese, Tamil, English
Long Distance Code: -
Importance: -
Best Time to Visit: September to May and -
International Access: 175 km from BIA
Description
Minneriya is a small town in Sri Lanka that is famous for two things — the great Minneriya lake built by King Mahasen and Minneriya National Park which is a hot spot for safari lovers because of its abundance of elephants. Furthermore, it is near the tourist-friendly Habarana and the world heritage sites Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya. Minneriya National Park is a national park in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938. The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in third century AD. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population dwelling in forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts. Along with Kaudulla and Girithale, Minneriya forms one of the 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Sri Lanka. Large numbers of Sri Lankan elephants are attracted to grass fields on the edges of the reservoir during the dry season. The Minneriya tank contributes to sustain a large herd. Elephants gathered here is numbering around 150–200. Some reports account number of elephants to as high as 700. They migrate here from Wasgamuwa National Park and benefit from food and shelter of the park's forest. Tourists visit Minneriya largely because of elephants, especially in dry season.Location
182 kilometres (113 mi) from Colombo.Climate
34°C, Wind W at 14 km/h, 50% Humidity
This National Park 8889 hectares in extent is famous for its large population of Elephants in herds of 100 to 150 roaming in the jungle and seen in the catchment area of the lake.
Entrance is at Ambagaswewa about 6 km from Habarana on the main Habarana Polonnaruwa road. Office is by the side of the main road.
Elephants, about 300 wild Elephants, Wild Buffaloes, Wild Boar, Spotted Deer, Sloth Bear, Sambhur, Leopards, Crocodiles, Jackals, 9 kinds of amphibians, 25 kinds of reptiles, 160 species of birds, 26 varieties of fishes, 78 varieties of butterflies are recorded from the Minneriya National Park.
Timings: 7am-5pm
Remarks: Famous for its large population of Elephants in herds of 100 to 150