| Wasgamuwa National Park | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Wasgamuwa National Park | |
  Wasgamuwa National Park | |
| Location | Central and North Central provinces, Sri Lanka |
| Nearest city | Matale |
| Coordinates | 7°43′N 80°56′E / 7.717°N 80.933°E |
| Area | 39322 ha |
| Established | August 07, 1984 |
| Governing body | Department of Wildlife Conservation |
Wasgamuwa National Park is a natural park in Sri Lanka situated in the Matale and Polonnaruwa Districts. It was declared to protect and to make a refuge for the displaced wild animals during the Mahaweli Development Project in 1984 and is one of the four National Parks designated under the Project.[1] Originally it was designated as a nature reserve in 1938, and then in the early 1970s the area was regraded as a strict nature reserve.[2] Wasgamuwa is one of the protected areas where Sri Lankan Elephants can be seen in large herds. It is also one of the Important Bird Areas in Sri Lanka. The name of the Wasgamuwa has derived from the words "Walas Gamuwa".[3] "Walasa" is Sinhala for sloth bear and "Gamuwa" means a wood. The park is situated 225 km away from Colombo.[4]
- ^ Senarathna, P.M. (2004). "Wasgomuwa". Sri Lankawe Jathika Vanodhyana (in Sinhala) (2nd ed.). Sarasavi Publishers. pp. 173–179. ISBN 955-573-346-5.
- ^ Nanayakkara, Eeasha; Marasinghe, Ranjan; Amerasinhe, Manjula. "Development and Management of Eco Lodges by Adjoining Communities of Wasgamuwa Park – Pilot Project" (PDF). protectedareas.net. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ Amaleeta, Nimashi (2007-01-07). "Wasgamuwa Calling all nature lovers". The Nation. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ Senarathna, P.M. (2005). "Wasgamuwa". Sri Lankawe Wananthara (in Sinhala) (1st ed.). Sarasavi Publishers. ISBN 955-573-401-1.