Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Infobox World Heritage Site
Name = Sinharaja Forest Reserve


State Party = SRI
Type = Natural
Criteria = ix, x
ID = 405
Region = Asia-Pacific
Year = 1988
Session = 10th
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/405Infobox Protected area
name = Sinharaja Forest Reserve
iucn_category = II


caption = View from the Blue Magpie Lodge
locator_x= |locator_y=
location = Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces, Sri Lanka
nearest_city =
lat_degrees=6 |lat_minutes=25 |lat_seconds= |lat_direction=N
long_degrees=80 |long_minutes=30 |long_seconds= |long_direction=E
area = 88.64 km²
established = April, 1978
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body =

Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and can been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests ecoregion, was saved from the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988. The reserve's name translates as "Kingdom of the Lion".

The reserve is only 21 km from east to west, and a maximum of 7 km from north to south, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Because of the dense vegetation, wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala. There are no elephants, and the 15 or so leopards are rarely seen. The commonest larger mammal is the endemic Purple-faced Langur.

An interesting phenomenon is that birds tend to move in mixed feeding flocks, invariably led by the fearless Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and the noisy Orange-billed Babbler. Of Sri Lanka's 26 endemic birds ( [http://www.suranganet.tk suranganet] ), the 20 rainforest species all occur here, including the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.

Reptiles include the endemic Green pit viper and Hump-nosed Vipers, and there are a large variety of amphibians, especially tree frogs. Invertebrates include the endemic Common Birdwing butterfly and the inevitable leeches.

Access ways
# Kudawa entrance - Colombo --> Kalawana --> Kudawa

External links

* [http://www.wcmc.org.uk/protected_areas/data/wh/sinharaj.html World Conservation Monitoring Centre]
* [http://www.dwlc.lk/ Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.lankalibrary.com/wlife.html WWW Virtual Library, Sri Lanka]
* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/405 Official UNESCO website entry]
* [http://www.lakdasun.com/attractions/attraction_03.htm Lakdasun Attractions Guides - Kudawa Conservation Centre]
* [http://www.lakdasun.com/trails.htm Lakdasun Trail Guides - Guides to Nature trails in Sinharaja]
* [http://www.lankadeepa.lk/Section/apeurumaya/082008/29082008.htm]