Minneriya National Park 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. 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. Along with Kaudulla and Girithale, Minneriya forms one of the 70 Important Bird Areas of Sri Lanka. The park is situated from Colombo.
Physical features
The area is situated in dry zone of Sri Lanka and receives an average rainfall of. The lowest temperature and highest of the park are and respectively. The main sources of water for the tank are a diversion of Amban River and Elahera canal. The wet season lasts during the north eastern monsoon from October to January and from May to September considered as the dry season. The main habitats of Minneriya are of several types, including low-canopy montane forests, intermediate high-canopy secondary forests, scrublands, abandoned chena lands, grasslands, rocky outcrops, and wetlands.
Flora
Terminalia arjuna, Manilkara hexandra, neem', sacred fig' and Piliostigma racemosum are commonly found in the area around the Minneriya tank. Chloroxylon swietenia, Vitex altissima, Berrya cordifolia, Diospyros quaesita, and Drypetes sepiaria are dominant plant species in Minneriya. Randia dumetorum, crotons, and Calotropis gigantea are common in abandoned chena cultivations and scrublands. Plantations of eucalyptus and teak, established by the Department of Forest Conservation, can be seen within the park. Monocots and grass species include Bambusa bambos, Ceylon date palm , Imperata cylindrica, and Panicum maximum.
Fauna
The national park's faunal species include 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies.
Elephant gathering
Large numbers of Sri Lankan elephants are attracted to grass fields on the edges of the reservoir during the dry season. The Minneriya tank contributes to sustain a large herd. Elephants gathered here is numbering around 150–200. Some reports account number of elephants to as high as 700. They migrate here from Wasgamuwa National Park and benefit from food and shelter of the park's forest. Tourists visit Minneriya largely because of elephants, especially in dry season.
The main threat to the park's forest is clearance for firewood and the practice might be resulted in decreasing the levels of water of the reservoir. Water pollution in bathing areas, encroachment, illegal agricultural practices, overfishing, poaching are the other threats caused by man. Spread of invasiveLantana camara is a natural threat. The area is also part of Minneriya-Giritale Nature Reserve which declared in four stages from 1988 to 1997. Conservative measures including habitat restoration and removing livestock from the area, have been proposed.