Somawathiya National Park

Somawathiya National Park is a national park in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province that protects riverine floodplain and dry forest habitat along the Mahaweli River. The park conserves a mix of forest, scrub and inundated plains important for large mammals and waterbirds.

Visitors come primarily for wildlife observation - the park supports populations of Asian elephant, freshwater crocodile and a variety of wetland and riverine bird species. The landscape includes river channels, sandbars and stands of gallery forest that shape wildlife distribution within the park.

The area was brought under formal protection in the late 20th century to safeguard riverine habitats and migratory routes for large mammals, and management since then has focused on habitat protection and mitigating human-wildlife conflict in adjacent agricultural areas.

Geographically the park lies on the northern bank of the Mahaweli River in Sri Lanka’s dry zone, within the North Central Province. It is set between agricultural plains and the river corridor, with the nearest sizeable towns in the Anuradhapura-Polonnaruwa region of the island.

• Wildlife highlights: Situated along and around the Mahaweli River floodplain, the park supports riverine forest and seasonally inundated habitats where sightings of Asian elephant and marsh birds are possible.
• Best viewing methods: Boat or river-edge observation are the primary ways visitors view wildlife because the park includes extensive floodplain and river channels.