Even in good times this 18,149-hectare park was not frequently visited. For the visitor, the result was a less ‘zoolike’ experience. However, with fewer staff to prevent poaching, the range and density of animals were also less.
The best-known feature is the 200-hectare Kumana bird reserve, an ornithologically rich mangrove swamp some 22km beyond Okanda. May to June is nesting season. The park also includes ruins, deer, elephants and (touted but rare) leopards. There have been sightings of Sri Lanka’s very rare black-necked stork.
