Sri Lanka’s Sinharaja Forest is a unique, low land rain forest comprising about 11,187 hectares, spreading across several administrative districts.  It is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique forests in Sri Lanka. 

The Sinharaja Forest it was declared a National Wilderness Area under the National Heritage Wilderness Area Act in 1988 and later on a World Heritage Site.  It is Sri Lanka’s first natural resource to earn this esteemed distinction.

Sinharaja Forest consists of a series of continuous ridges, aligned approximately in an East-West direction and lies between the tributaries of the Kalu Kanga in the north and the Gin Ganga in the south.

Vegetation of Sinharaja may be described either as a Tropical Lowland Rain or Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest.  

Preliminary studies on the fauna of Sinharaja have revealed that there is a high degree of endemism among the butterflies, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.  Out of the larger mmals, although elephants were said to be ‘common’ in the past there have not been sightings during the last 15 years.  However, there have been sightings of a few animals in the Eastern Sector.  The Sambhur, The Mouse Deer and Barking Deer are also found within the reserve.  Leopards are very seldom sighted.