Sinharaja Rain Forest is one of world’s most pristine
rain forests, which is located within Sabaragamuwa Province and Southern
Province of Sri Lanka and its total area spreads over 7,648 hectares.
Sri Lanka's tropical rainforest, the Sinharaja is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. One of the few virgin forests left in the world. Streams, springs, rivers, waterfalls, leopard, monkeys, butterflies and moths, rare trees, valuable shrubs and medicinal herbs are all found within its green canopy.
Sinharaja Rain Forest is the Sri Lanka’s first National Wilderness Heritage Area and is surrounded by the Napola Dola and Koskulana Ganga River on the North side, by the Maha Dola and Gin Ganga Rivers on the South and South-West side and by the Kalukandawa Ela and river Kudawa Ganga Rivers on the West side. Due to have two nature trails which lead to Moulawella peak and Sinhagala peak in this bio diversity site, hiking will be a pleasurable and enlightening activity among tall trees, small crystal-clear cool water streams, various bio-diverse species and the canopy of woods and “December-April” is the best time period to do this adventure.
Sinharaja Rain Forest is rich with plenty of plant life
as well as wild life and is received monsoon rains, South-West monsoons during
May-July and the North-East monsoons during November-January. Diversity of
plant life can be discovered under vegetation structure, rare species, endemic
flora and common species categories.
While the total vegetation density is about 240,000
individuals per hectare in this site, it has 13 types of endemic flora, out of
25 types Sri Lanka’s endemic flora.
Though wildlife is depending on plants, they are vital
part of nature to continue the eco-system and Sinharaja Rain Forest is a home
to various species of wild life including fish, amphibian, reptiles (tetrapod
and snakes), birds and mammals. Elephant, Sambhar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer,
Wild Pig, Leopard, Fishing Cat and Western Toque Macaque (are some mammals that
can be discovered. Sri Lanka Rufous Babbler, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Sri Lanka
White-eye, Black-capped Bulbul and Southern Scimitar Babbler are some of bird
species that will be captured to your camera. While travelers can discover
various reptiles including Green-pit Viper, Merrem's Hump-nosed Viper, Walli's
Hump-nosed Viper and Russell's Viper, they can explore various amphibians in
Sinharaja Rain Forest such as Wrinkled Frog, Sri Lanka Reed Frog, Lesser Wood
Frog, Slender Wood frog, Guenther's Cliff Frog, Sharp nosed Tree Frog,
Small-eared Tree Frog, Greater Hourglass Tree Frog and Wrinkled Tree Frog. And
also Comb-tail with red tinted fins, the Stone-sucker and the striped loach
fish species can be seen in the forest streams.
Sinharaja rain forest pictures
