"Sinharaja" - A Rain-forest at its Best.....
11th December, 2011
Sri Lanka, also known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean, is a land of many wonders. It has always been an attractive foreign destination due to its tropical climate and the golden beaches as well as its lush scenery towards the central part of the island. One unique feature I see in this country, which probably has a huge impact on the foreign industry, is its relative compactness of a wide variety of climate zones. Within a couple of hours drive you could see the countries mesmerizing beaches, the lush crop of the paddy fields, the breath taking scenery of the mountains, the archaeological ruins of the dry zone and the rich wildlife of the forests. A midst many fascinating findings in this island it is definitely worth mentioning the natural heritage that it has been gifted by mother earth her-self. "Sinharaja" or "The Kingdom of the Lion" is a virgin rainforest which was designated to be a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1978 and 1988 respectively. Its biodiversity has made it one of the most seeked out by local as well as foreign naturalists. Unfortunately the forest lost a massive 3000acres for a commercial logging operation in the 1970's. Thereafter it has been named as a National Forest Reserve. |
We started exploring this extraordinary creation of nature on the 11th of December 2011 at 6.30am. After purchasing entrance tickets from the Wild Life Conservation Office at the park entrance (together with leach socks....a much needed accessory) we started our trail with a our keen-eyed wildlife guide Mr. Dhammika. It is said that out of the 26 endemic birds of Sri Lanka, 20 were to be found here. Likewise it is also said to be rich with other endemic fauna and flora. Our journey through the forest was indeed exceptional. Sinharaja had all the features of a true rain forest giving us a feeling of adventure. The shade of the sky high trees, the jumbo bamboo, the orchids, the musical chirp of numerous birds and insects all added to the effect. The trail leads through the thick forest passing breathtaking waterfalls, streams, climbs etc. An occasional leech could be found trying desperately to crawl up your leech sock but is easily spotted. It really was a worthwhile investment!! |
Half way through the journey we came across this group of Blue Magpies (Urocissa ornata) or "Kehibella" in local terms. This truely was a magnificent creature, a relatively rare bird, endemic to Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka its mainly seen in the forests of Sinharaja and Kithulgala. This bird, even though it falls into the crow family, is a very colourful creature, with bright blue foliage and red bill. This group was relatively tame due to being frequently fed by visitors to the forest.
Sinharaja also gives birth to two major rivers in Sri Lanka, the "Kalu Ganga" and "Gin Ganga". These springs gave rise to beautiful streams and small waterfalls that was a pleasure to photograph.
Below I shall be sharing with you some of the pictures I captures while on our trail. It surely was a wild experience and its definitely one of those places that I plan to visit many-a-time.
Below I shall be sharing with you some of the pictures I captures while on our trail. It surely was a wild experience and its definitely one of those places that I plan to visit many-a-time.