Horagolla National Park is one of the latest national park

National park

A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...

s in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. It is so called because of an abundance of Dipterocarpus zeylanicus

Dipterocarpus zeylanicus

Dipterocarpus zeylanicus, commonly known as Hora in Sinhalese, is a species of Dipterocarpus that is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is a large tree that grows up to 40 - 45 m tall and 4 - 6 m in circumference. The bark is light pinkish brown or light yellowish brown. Leaves are big and oval, 5...

(Hora) trees. The area was originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary

Wildlife refuge

A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...

 on 5 September 1973 due to its rich biodiversity

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

. Later on 24 June 2004, Horagolla was elevated to national park status. Horagolla is the only urban park

Urban park

An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...

 in the Western Province

Western Province, Sri Lanka

The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...

 of Sri Lanka. The park is situated close to Horagolla Walauwa

Walauwa

Walauwa is the name given to a feudal/colonial manor house in Ceylon built by native headmen. It is also reference to the feudal social systems that existed during the colonial era.-Kandyan Walauwas:...

, the home of the Bandaranaike family. The park is situated some 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) from Colombo

Colombo

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

.

Flora and fauna

Horagolla is a low-country evergreen forest

Sri Lanka lowland rain forests

thumb|250px|right|World heritage site [[Sinharaja Forest Reserve]] is an important forest in this ecoregionThe Sri Lanka Lowland Rain Forests represents Sri Lanka's Tropical rainforests below in elevation in the southwestern part of the island...

. The park has a humus soil structure and hot temperature persists throughout the year. Many tree species are in abundance including Dipterocarpus zeylanicus

Dipterocarpus zeylanicus

Dipterocarpus zeylanicus, commonly known as Hora in Sinhalese, is a species of Dipterocarpus that is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is a large tree that grows up to 40 - 45 m tall and 4 - 6 m in circumference. The bark is light pinkish brown or light yellowish brown. Leaves are big and oval, 5...

(Hora), Canarium zeylanicum

Canarium zeylanicum

Canarium zeylanicum is a species of flowering plant in the frankincense family, Burseraceae, that is endemic to Sri Lanka....

(Kekuna), Dillenia retusa (Godapara), Caryota urens

Caryota urens

Caryota urens is a species of flowering plant in the palm family from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and India where they grow in fields and rain-forest clearings. The epithet urens is Latin for 'stinging' alluding to the chemicals in the fruit...

(Kitul), Pericopsis mooniana

Pericopsis mooniana

Pericopsis mooniana, the Nandu Wood or Nedun Tree, is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.It is threatened by habitat loss....

(Nedun), Mangifera zeylanica

Mangifera zeylanica

Mangifera zeylanica is a species of plant in the Anacardiaceae family. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is very rare and found in dry zone of Sri Lanka. It is called "etamba" in Sinhala-Source:...

(Atamba), Sacred fig

Sacred Fig

The Sacred Fig, Ficus religiosa, or Bo-Tree , Peepal is a species of banyan fig native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, southwest China and Indochina...

, Alstonia scholaris

Alstonia scholaris

Alstonia scholaris Alstonia scholaris Alstonia scholaris (Apocynaceae, commonly called Blackboard tree, Indian devil tree, Ditabark, Milkwood pine, White cheesewood and Pulai; syn. Echites scholaris L. Mant., Pala scholaris L...

(Ruk Attana), Acronychia pedunculata (Ankenda), Vitex pinnata

Vitex pinnata

-General Description:Trees up 2-15 meter tall; up to 40 cm in diameter . Bark fissured, flaky, pale yellowish grey to brown; inner bark pale yellow becoming green on exposure; sapwood soft yellow to brown. Leaves 3- or 5-foliolate...

(Milla), Mimusops elengi

Mimusops elengi

Mimusops elengi is a medium-sized evergreen tree found in tropical forests in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Northern Australia. English common names include Spanish cherry,, Medlar, and Bullet wood...

(Moonamal), Breadfruit

Breadfruit

Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...

 and Pterospermum canescens (Velang). Also various liana

Liana

A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...

 Entada rheedii

Entada rheedii

Entada rheedii, commonly known as the African Dream Herb or Snuff Box Sea Bean, is a large woody liana or climber. It is often spelled as Entada rheedei, though the first and legitimate name was published as E. rheedii...

(Pus-wel) can be seen. In the forests of the park, Gmelina arborea

Gmelina arborea

Gmelina arborea, , locally known as Gamhar, is a fast growing deciduous tree, occurring naturally throughout greater part of India at altitudes up to 1500 meters...

(Ethdemata), Filicium decipiens (Pihimbiya), Mahogany

Mahogany

The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....

, Teak

Teak

Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...

 and Golden Shower Tree

Golden Shower Tree

Cassia fistula, known as the golden shower tree and other names, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to southern Asia, from southern Pakistan east through India to Myanmar and south to Sri Lanka. It is the national tree of Thailand, and its flower is Thailand's national flower...

 (Ehela) are predominant.

The mammals found in the park include Fishing Cat

Fishing Cat

The Fishing Cat is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified the fishing cat as endangered since they are concentrated primarily in wetland habitats, which are increasingly being settled, degraded and converted...

, Sri Lankan Spotted Chevrotain

Sri Lankan Spotted Chevrotain

The Sri Lankan Spotted Chevrotain or White-spotted Chevrotain is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Tragulidae family...

, Golden Jackal

Golden Jackal

The golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...

, and Grizzled giant squirrel

Grizzled Giant Squirrel

The grizzled giant squirrel is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa found in the highlands of the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka, and in patches of riparian forest along the Kaveri River and in the hill forests in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of southern India...

. Horagolla is considered a birdwatching site. The number of bird species recorded from the park is 68. The most common are Parakeets, Black-crested Bulbul

Black-crested Bulbul

The Black-crested Bulbul, Pycnonotus melanicterus, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent including in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, and eastwards in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia....

, Barbets, and Asian Koel

Asian Koel

The Asian Koel is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. It is found in South Asia, China, and Southeast Asia. It forms a superspecies with the closely related Black-billed and Pacific Koels which are sometimes treated as subspecies...

. Some of the other bird species seen in the park include Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill

Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill

The Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill is a hornbill and a widespread and common endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. Hornbills are a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World....

, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot

Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot

The Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot is a small parrot which is a resident endemic breeder in Sri Lanka.-Description:The Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot is a small, mainly green hanging parrot, only 13 cm long with a short tail. The adult has a red crown and rump. The nape and back have on orange tint. The...

, Layard's Parakeet

Layard's Parakeet

The Layard's Parakeet is a parrot which is a resident endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. The common name of this bird commemorates the British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard; his first wife, Barbara Anne Calthrop, whom he married in 1845, is commemorated in the specific epithet.-Description:Layard's...

 and Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. The rare Clipper

Parthenos sylvia

The Clipper is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South and South-East Asia found mostly in forested areas. The Clipper is a fast flying butterfly and has a habit of flying with its wings flapping stiffly between the horizontal position and a few degrees below the horizontal...

, Ceylon Birdwing

Troides darsius

Troides darsius is a species of birdwing butterfly found in Sri Lanka.-Description:From Troides helena cerberus it differs as follows :...

 and Blue Mormon

Papilio polymnestor

The Blue Mormon is a large swallowtail butterfly found in South India and Sri Lanka.-Description:Males have the upper wings rich velvety black...

 are the butterflies known from the park. Many threatened species including tortoise

Tortoise

Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...

s are found in Horagolla. Pythons and cobras are among the many reptiles found in the park.