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Maduru
Oya National Park
This new park is designed to protect the immediate catchments of
five reservoirs, developed under the Accelerated Mahaweli Development
Programme. Conservation of these catchments is crucial to the success
of the project. The park area provides refuge for wildlife, particularly
elephants.
Location
The park lies between the Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa road and Mahiyangana-Padiyatalawa
road in the districts of Ampara, Badulla and Polonnaruwa. It spans
the border between Eastern and Uva provinces. It is surrounded on
the west and north by Mahaweli development areas and on the south
and east by teak plantations and jungle, which are subjected to
repeated slash and burn practices.
Access
:
The
easiest and most practical route from Colombo is via Kurunegala,
Dambulla, Habarana, Polonnaruwa and Manampitiya: It is approximately
265 km from Colombo. Main access, from the north is 25km by road
from Manampitiya, located on the Polonnaruwa-Batticaloa highway.
Physical
Features
The
dominant physical feature is the 8 km long range of rocky mountains
in the south-west of the park. Red earth relatively fertile but
easily eroded, is the predominant soil type. Water bodies, which
make up over 15% of the park, include the Maduru Oya, Ulhitiya,
Ratkinda, NDK and Henanigala reserviors and tributaries.of the Mahaweli
and Maduru Oya river systems.
The
area of the Park is 58,850ha. The park was extended in the east
from its original size of 51,468ha on 16th September 1985 in order
to provide additional habitat for wildlife and to ensure protection
of the immediate catchment. of the NDK reservoir. It is proposed
to link the park with Gal Oya National Park (25,900ha) in the south
via Nilgala jungle corridor (10,360ha).
Climate
Conditions
are influenced largely by the north-east monsoon, or Maha, which
lasts from October to late January. Average annual rainfall is 1,650mm.
Average annual temperature is about 27°C.
History
of Establishment
Notified as a national park on 9th November 1983 under the Fauna
and Flora Protection Ordinance, having acquired from crown lands
with reference to the Mahaweli Authority Act, 1979.
Cultural
Heritage
Ruins
at Henanigala, Kudawila, Gurukumbura, Uluketangoda, Werapokuna and
several other places include ancient Buddhist shrines, temples,
dagobas, statues and hermitages from different eras in Sri Lankan
history. An ancient sluice on the old breached earthen bund of the
Maduru Oya was discovered recently. The sluice, consisting of the
stone slabs and bricks, is about 30ft high, 30ft wide and 219ft
long. The upper sluice was built in two stages, the first of which
dates back to before the 6th century BC. The lower sluice is believed
to be even older.
Another
ancient bund, known as Watawala Kandiya, is situated 23km south
of the Maduru Oya dam. Ruins of ancient devalayas (temples) are
at Verapokuna in the south. Early Brahmin inscriptions from the
first to third century BC have been discovered at Kandegamakanda.
Veddas,
numbering less than a thousand people, had lived in Kandeganwela,
Kotatalawa, Dambana and other places in the park prior to its declaration.
Traditionally hunters and gatherers, they have increasingly relied
on small scale cultivations for their livelihood. Families living
at Dambana have retained a traditional lifestyle to some extent.
Vegetation
The
park is located entirely within Sri Lanka’s dry zone, although
its southern edge borders on the intermediate zone. Typical vegetation
of the area is tropical dry mixed evergreen forest, characterized
by weera, buruta (satin), palu, welang, divul (wood apple), ehela
and weliwenna. However, a major part of the forest within the park
had been heavily exploited in the past for shifting cultivation.
A rare and endemic tree Vatica obscura, is found in restricted locations
on the banks of the Madum Oya and Gallodai Am. A large plantation
of teak , an exotic, is included in the north eastern part of the
park.
Fauna
The
park is important for its rich wildlife, which includes a variety
of endemic species. Threatened species of mammals include elephant
of which there were 150-250 prior to the park’s establishment,
sloth bear, leopard and water buffalo. Other mammals include slender
loris, toque macaque Macaca sinica, common langur, jackal, fishing
cat, wild boar, Indian muntjac, spotted deer and Sambur Small mammals
include porcupine, black napped hare, Indian pangolin, squirrels,
rats and mice.
The
rich aquatic birdlife includes painted stork, white bellied sea
eagle, grey pelican, great cormorant and little cormorant. Noteworthy
forest species are the endemic Sri Lanka jungle fowl, the rare broad
billed roller (possibly the only location in the dry zone), common
tailor-bird, shama, black hooded oriole, woodpecker and red faced
malkoha, endemic to Sri Lanka, is also present.
Reptiles
include tortoise, common monitor, water monitor , python, krait.,
common cobra, mugger crocodile and crocodile. Of fishes, barbs,
giant gourami (possibly introduced), snake heads, catfish and tilapia
(an exotic) are predominant in the reservoirs.
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