| Minneriya National Park | |
|---|---|
| මින්නේරිය ජාතික වනෝද්යානය மின்னேரியா தேசிய வனம் | |
 A flock of birds near the Minneriya reservoir | |
  Minneriya National Park | |
| Location | North Central province, Sri Lanka |
| Nearest city | Polonnaruwa |
| Coordinates | 7°58′44″N 80°50′56″E / 7.97889°N 80.84889°E |
| Area | 8,889.4 ha |
| Established | August 12, 1997 |
| Governing body | Department of Wildlife Conservation |
Minneriya National Park (Sinhala: මින්නේරිය ජාතික වනෝද්යානය, romanized: Minnēriya Jātika Vanōdyānaya; Tamil: மின்னேரியா தேசிய வனம், romanized: Miṉṉēriyā Tēciya Vaṉam) is a national park in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938.[1] The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in third century AD. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population dwelling in forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts. The park earned revenue of Rs. 10.7 million in the six months ending in August 2009.[2] Along with Kaudulla and Girithale, Minneriya forms one of the 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Sri Lanka.[3] The park is situated 182 kilometres (113 mi) from Colombo.
- ^ "Minneriya Reservoir". Sri Lanka Wetlands Information and Database. International Water Management Institute. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
- ^ Sriyananda, Shanika (8 August 2009). "Wildlife picks up with end of war". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on 5 September 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
- ^ "IBAs in Sri Lanka". birdlife.org. BirdLife International. Retrieved 22 December 2009.