Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Description
Located in south-west Sri Lanka, Sinharaja is the country’s last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of them are considered rare. There is much endemic wildlife, especially birds, but the reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka’s endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as well as many kinds of insects, reptiles and rare amphibians.
Sinharaja Forest Reserve meaning ‘Lion Kingdom’ is the best known Rain Forest in the country and has been identified as important biodiversity hotspot. The Park was originally declared a forest reserve in 1875 and due to its international importance it was designated as a Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988.
It is situated 172.1 km from Colombo via the Southern Expressway and is accessible from any of its three entrances; Pitadeniya, Kudawa and Morning Side. The vegetation at Sinharaja is that of a tropical wet evergreen forest with large trees that grow to heights of 35m to 40m and even going up to 50m, believed to have unbelievable genetic potential, waiting to be tapped. Some families of Dipterocarpaceae show an endemism of over 90%, of the 211 woody trees and lianas, 66% or 139 of them are endemic to the forest reserve. The lower plants such as Ferns and epiphytes of the 25 endemic species 13 have been recorded within Sinharaja itself.
The forest reserve recognized as a living heritage, though relatively smaller than other National Parks, it extends over an area of 11,187 hectares, bordering the three districts of Galle, Matara and Ratnapura. The forest reserve receives an annual rainfall of 3000-6000 mm throughout the year. Two important rivers; namely the Gin and Kalu Ganga (Rivers) and many other waterways are fed and nourished by the waters that flow from thisverdent forest reserve. The forest cover is denser than other dry zone parks making it more secure for the wildlife yet making it a little harder for visitors to take a glimpse of the larger mammals such as the Leopard and Elephants.
The larger mammals are the Elephants (only few seen on the Rakwana side) Leopard, Sambar, Fishing Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat, Barking deer, Mouse deer, Jackal and Wild boar and the commonly seen endemic Purple-faced langur and the Toque macaque, a reddish brown monkey. The smaller mammals include, Porcupine, Otter, three types of squirrels; Giant, Small striped and Flying, two species of Mongoose- the Badger and Brown, two species of Civets; Ring-tailed and Golden Palm, many species of Bandicoot, Rats, Bats and even the very rare Pangolin. Some of the reptiles are Python, Green pit viper, the Hump-nosed viper and Rough-nosed horned lizard. It is known that 50% of the endemic amphibian species of the country are found in Sinharaja; this includes Greater hour-glass tree frog, Wrinkled frog, Reed frog and the Torrent toad.
