Sinharaja Forest Reserve

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Moist and muggy, murky and mysterious; an experience of Sinharaja is like nothing else in Sri Lanka. Trekking through this magnificent jungle, the last surviving stretch of virgin rainforest on the island is a treat; through a bewildering land of exotic colours and wonderful sounds is a truly enriching experience. From top to bottom the forest is teeming with life, colour and sound; gushing waterfalls, gurgling streams, ants marching, leaves rustling, leeches waiting, crickets creaking and fluttering butterflies combine to stir the senses. UNESCO made Sinharaja Forest a World Heritage Site in 1989.

Located in the southwest corner of Sri Lanka, 40km inland from the historic city of Galle, the Sinharaja rain forest straddles a series of mountains and ridges in the country’s wet zone, containing a number of streams, waterfalls and fresh-water springs which flow into the Gin River on the southern boundary and Kalu River to the north. The Sinharaja region has long played an important role in the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka. For folklorists, the name of the forest, which literally means ‘lion king’, suggests its significance as the primary home of the legendary lion of Sri Lanka. Other less romantic historians believe that the name refers to Sinharaja’s role as the ‘king-sized’ or ‘royal’ forest of the Sinhalese people, at a time when over 100,000 hectares of wet evergreen jungle covered the South Western hills and lowlands of Sri Lanka.

The forest not only offers a window into in Sri Lanka’s distant past but is also houses an incredible array of flora and fauna (including a sum total of 73 endemic species of birds, butterflies, fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians) making a world famous hotspot for biodiversity.

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This evergreen rain forest, a UNESCO World heritage site, is one of the few virgin rain forests left to date. Damp mysterious and teeming with life, the Sinharaja forest reserve situated 120 KM South East of Colombo, is the last expensive stretch of virgin rainforest on the island. At just over 11000 hectares, line across the wet zone the Southern edge of the hill country, Sinharaja is an ecological treasure trove. It is staggering array of flora and fauna place it among the top bio diversity hotspot in the world.

The large mammals that are found in Sinharaja are the Leopard (Panthera pardus), Sambur (Cervus unicolor), Fishing Cat (Felis viverrina), Rusty Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosa), Barking Deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Mouse Deer (Tragulus meeminna), Jackal (Canis aureus) and Wild Boar (Sus scorfa). However, the leopard is rarely seen but there is evidence of its presence through its scats.

The Purple-faced Langur (Presbytis senex) is an endemic. The only other primate found is the Toque or Rhesus Monkey (Macaca sinica) but it is seen mostly in the peripheral forests.

Of the smaller mammals there are a number of species in Sinharaja. The two Small Squirrels (Funambulus layardi and F. sublineatus), one Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura) the smaller Flying Squirrel (Petynomys fuscocapillus), the Badger Mongoose (Herpestes vitticolis), the Brown Mongoose (Herpestes fuscus), the Ring-tailed Civet (Viverricula indica), the Golden Palm Civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis) and the Porcupine (Hystrix indica). The Otter (Lutra lutra) is also found in Sinharaja. There are also reports of sightings of the Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata.) but it is rare.

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