Sinharaja

Sinharaja is in the South-Western part of the Island and is the last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. It has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The name Sinharaja translates to “Lion Kingdom”. The reserve is approximately 21 km from East to West, and 7 km from North to South. It is considered a goldmine of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The dense vegetation casts shadows on the wildlife. There are however known to be some elephants, and leopards within the park. The most seen animal is the purple faced langur. This park is well loved for bird watching as there are 26 varieties of Sri Lankan endemic birds including the red- faced malkoha, green- billed coucal and the blue magpie.