sinharaja rain forest
 View from the Blue Magpie Lodge | |||||||||||||||||
| Location | Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces, Sri Lanka | ||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 6°25′00″N 80°30′00″E / 6.4166667°N 80.5°ECoordinates: 6°25′00″N 80°30′00″E / 6.4166667°N 80.5°E | ||||||||||||||||
| Area | 88.64 km2 (34.22 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||
| Established | April, 1978 | ||||||||||||||||
| Governing body | Department of Forest Conservation | ||||||||||||||||
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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 (13 mi) from east to west, and a maximum of 7 km (4.3 mi) 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 about 3 elephants and the 15 or so leopards are rarely seen. The most common 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, 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.
Peaks
- Pinipitigala
- Mulawella
- Kudawa entrance - Colombo --> Kalawana --> Kudawa
- Pitadeniya Entrance - Galle or Matara --> Deniyaya --> Pitadeniya
- Morning Side Entrance -- Galle or Matara --> Deniyaya --> Morning Side Estate
