Lahugala National Park
Lahugala Kitulana National Park one of the smallest national parks in Sri Lanka. Despite its land area, the park is an important habitat for Sri Lankan Elephant and endemic birds of Sri Lanka. Originally it was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in July 1st of 1966. Then the protected area was upgraded to a national park in October 31 of 1980. Lahugala Kitulana is situated 318 km east of Colombo.
Mean annual rainfall of the area is about 1,650 millimetres (65 in). North east monsoon persist during the months November to December. Two dry periods last from May to October and January to March. The terrain of the park is flat with occasional rocky outcrops.
Ten miles inland off the East Coast town of Pottuvil in an area that belonged to the ancient kingdom of Ruhuna are three a tanks, the Mahawewa, Kitulana and Sengamuwa. The most famous of the trio however is the Mahawewa, which is more famously known as Lahugala. This is in fact the name of the little village about a mile from the tanks. Lahugala a tanks is about 600 acres in extent, and had a storage capacity of 2760-acre feet and a 3700-ft. long bund. The history of Lahugala is lost in the mists of time, but it is almost certain that it dates back to the hay day of that historic realm. The terrain around Lahugala is typically "dry zone", with secondary brush and forest. Between main road and Heda Oya however it is deeply forested, with giant trees, magnificent buttress roots and closely entwined undergrowth. The special vegetative feature in the Lahugala area is the beru (Oplismenus compostus). This tall succulent grass completely covers the three tanks and is a favorite among the elephants. While growing freely in this area, it is hardly encountered in large expanses in other parts of the island.