Kumana

Kumana National Park

Kumana national park is the east side of the Yala national park. This is also known as "Yala east national park". Kumana national park is popular for its large number of birds in the park. It can be reached from the Yala national park as well as via Avissawella, Rathnapura, Pelmadulla, Udawalawa, Monaragala, Panama, Kumana from Colombo. Below is the location of the Kumana national park.In the nesting season you can see thousands of water birds as well as the other birds in Kumana national park. In last few years it was closed because of the war and now it is open. Other than the birds it is also popular for the mammals that are found in Yala national park like Elephants, sloth bear and leopard. But this is most popular for the birds. Below are some images of birds which can be seen at Kumana national park.There are only two bungalows inside the park currently. And also there are no many hotels in the nearby area. But you can find enough accommodation if you can go to Panama area. If you haven't visit it yet it is a place you must visit if you come to this area.

The Park was closed due to LTTE terrorist problems from 1985. Located in the the country’s southern east corner, the Kumana park came to have been affected by the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. It was closed for public view again from 2006 with the government launching its humanitarian operations in the country’s North and East to liberate the country from clutches of terrorism.
      With the Government liberating the country last year, the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry is rapidly establishing its control in the country’s game parks. The Ministry opened Yala National Park in the last year.Minister Champika Ranawaka said, they will have opened all the 20 national parks in the country by the first half of this year. He said, clearing of land mines in Wilpattu has reached its final stages and the Ministry will have opened the the Park by February.“With the opening of the national parks , Sri Lanka’s tourist industry can rely on Eco tourism. This will directly influence the country’s economic development with locla community to derive direct benefits There will be more business opportunities for investors,” said Minister Ranawaka.The Minister was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Kumana National Park, which took place in Okanda. Minister of Natural Resources Indika Bandara, Wildlife Conservation Deparment Director General W.A.D.Wijesuriya, Park Wardens of Wildlife sanctuaries, Principals and children from nearby village schools in Okanda area, were present on this occasion.It was interesting to see that a group of indigenous people (Vannile Aththo) have come to greet Minister Champika Ranawaka and the Willdlife authorities on this occasion. The leader of the Wannila Aththo was also present. They invoked blessings of their Forest God Kalu Bandara on Minister Ranawaka whom they called the minister Maha Hura and chanted religious versus in harmony that lasted for ten minutes. An exchange of gifts took place between the minister and the Wannila Attho after after the ritual.
  The sky was whiter than usual as the the brightly shining sun surveyed the plains of Kumana that Saturday. Yet there were short spells of rains in spite of the sun’s bright dominance in the sky.rains sometimes cover the jeep road of the Park that leads to its bird sanctuary on a 200 hectare natural swamp lake. This is one of the most significant features of the park called Kumana villu. It is fed by Kumbukkan estuary through a half a mile long narrow channel. Although our crew could not see much bird population at this mangrove swamp this time of the year, a Park Warden said that most birds had flown away because there have been too much disturbance in the forest with the noise of too many safari jeeps plying down the area. Most water birds come to nest in the swamp in May and June.