Wasgamuwa Sri Lanka

A short drive from the ruins of Polonnaruwa is Wasgamuwa National Park, with its herd of 150-plus of elephants and the highest biodiversity of any of Sri Lanka’s protected nature reserves.
Bespoke safaris enable visitors to fully appreciate just how diverse the wildlife is: every animal specie found in Sri Lanka can be seen here, including the fabled leopard, as well as 150 plant species.
The history of Polonnaruwa includes the the Malagamuwa, Wilmitiya, and Dasthota irrigation tanks, plus the Kalinga Yoda Ela canal, all of which were built nearly 1,000 years ago by King Par?kramab?hu, and are found in the park.
In the early 1970s, the area was upgraded as a strict nature reserve. The name Wasgamuwa is derived from the words ‘walas gamuwa, ‘walasa’ being Sinhala for sloth bear and ‘Gamuwa’ for forest.