Wilpattu National Park

Wilpattu National Park is a large protected area on Sri Lanka’s northwest coast known for its mosaic of dry forest and seasonal wetlands. It is one of the island’s most important wildlife reserves, noted for populations of leopard and other large mammals.

The park’s defining feature is a network of natural shallow lakes called villus; many of these fill in the rainy season and shrink in the dry months, concentrating birds and mammals. Game drives focus on locating leopards, elephants, sloth bear and a wide range of waterbirds at these villus and along a network of dirt tracks spanning the park.

The area was formally protected in the 20th century and has been managed as a national park to conserve its wildlife and habitats. Access and management were affected during Sri Lanka’s civil conflict, and the park reopened to more regular tourism and research in the early 2000s.

Geographically the park lies on Sri Lanka’s northwest coastal plain, west of Anuradhapura and north of Puttalam. The park occupies a large, low-lying area of dry-zone forest and wetlands close to the island’s western seaboard.

• Villus wetland system: The park contains numerous seasonally flooded shallow lakes known locally as "villus" that concentrate wildlife during the dry season and make game-viewing especially productive.
• Best time to visit: Best wildlife sightings are during the dry season, typically May to September, when animals concentrate around water sources and roads are more passable.