Sinharaja Forest Reserve is the last untouched rainforest in Sri Lanka. It is home to many rare plants and animals that are found only in this area. UNESCO has designated it as a World Heritage Site.

This forest was formed during the Jurassic period, which was 200 million to 145 million years ago. It is the thickest rainforest in Asia.

Features

More than 60% of the trees in this area are found only here, and many are rare. This region is home to 95% of the bird species that are found only in this area. Of Sri Lanka's 26 bird species that are found only in this area, all 20 that live in rainforests are found here. These include the red-faced malkoha, green-billed coucal, and Sri Lanka blue magpie. Reptiles in this area include the green pit viper and hump-nosed viper, which are found only here. There are also many types of amphibians, especially tree frogs, and invertebrates such as the Sri Lankan birdwing butterfly, which is found only in Sri Lanka, and leeches.

Geography

Sinharaja Forest Reserve spans most of the Kalu Ganga basin and a small part of the northern Gin Ganga. About 60% of the forest is located within the borders of Rathnapura District. The remaining parts are found in Galle District (20%) and Kaluthara District (20%).

The rainforest probably formed during the Jurassic period, which lasted from 200 million to 145 million years ago. This forest covers an area of 36,000 hectares (88,960 acres/360 km²).

Human activity

The reserve is closely connected to the local population, who live in many villages scattered along the border. People in these villages gather herbal medicine, edible fruits, nuts, mushrooms, and other non-wood items from the forest, such as honey from bees and a sweet sap from a type of palm in the Caryota genus.

In 2013, UNESCO asked to stop expanding an old road that linked the Lankagama area to Deniyaya through a 1-kilometer stretch of jungle inside the protected area. This request followed a complaint from the Centre for Environmental and Nature Studies of Sri Lanka. A group of environmentalists launched a large campaign on social media and urged officials to stop the expansion.

Mr. Martin Wijesinhe was one of the most important people in Sri Lanka related to Sinharaja. He served as an unofficial protector and caretaker of the area from the 1950s until his death in 2021.

Tourism

The Sinharaja Forest Reserve is open to the public and can be entered through four main gates: Weddagala (north-west), Rakwana (north-east), Neluwa (south-west), and Deniyaya–Mederipitiya (south-east).

According to rules for protecting the forest, all visitors must be accompanied by a licensed guide. Guided hiking tours are available, led by trained guides from Sri Lanka. These tours help visitors learn about the forest's many plants and animals and why it is important for the environment.

Endemic Mammals

• Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus)
• Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya)
• Sri Lankan deer (Rusa unicolor unicolor)
• Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain (Moschiola meminna)
• Sri Lankan jackal (Canis aureus naria)
• Toque macaque (Macaca sinica)
• Red slender loris (Loris tardigradus)
• Purple-faced langur (Semnopithecus vetulus)
• Sinharaja shrew (Crocidura hikmiya)
• Golden palm civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis)
• Paradoxurus aureus
• Golden dry-zone palm civet (Paradoxurus stenocephalus)
• Sri Lankan brown palm civet (Paradoxurus montanus)
• Yellow-striped chevrotain (Moschiola kathygre)

Gallery

• A waterfall located within the Sinharaja Rainforest
• Common Birdwing (a type of butterfly)
• Yellow-browed bulbul (a bird species)
• Purple-faced langur and its baby (a type of monkey)
• A stream found in the reserve area
• The tall tree canopy in the reserve
• Fowlea asperrimus (a scientific name for a species)