Maduru Oya National Park, declared in 1983, lies in the lowland dry zone, 314 km away from Colombo, within Polonnaruwa and Ampara Districts. Prime objectives of the park was to protect the catchment area of the large scale reservoirs constructed under the Mahaweli Development Project, and to provide alternative habitats for the populations of elephants and other species of wild animals, displaced due to vast clearing of forests, under the said development project.
Elephant being the most significant animal species of Maduruoya NP, it is inhibited by the other large mammals such as leopard, sloth bear, sambhur, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar and wild buffalo too. Torque Macaque, Purple-faced Leaf Monkey and nocturnal Slender Loris also are recorded n the park. Lesser Adjutant, Wooly-necked Stork, Open-bill Stork, Painted Stork, Racquet-tailed tailed Drongo, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Sri Lanka Jungle fowl are the common species of birds, among the over 100 species of birds found within the park.
Ruins at Henanigala, Kudawila, Gurukumbura, Uluketangoda, Werapokuna and several other places within the park can be identified as those of ancient Buddhist shrines of different eras of Sri Lankan history. An ancient sluice dating prior to the 6th century BC was discovered recently on the old breached earthen bund of the Maduru Oya. Early Brahmin inscriptions dating from the 3rd century BC are found at Kandegamwila. A few families of Veddas, a vestige of an aboriginal tribe believed to be descended from King Vijaya and the Yaksha (demon) princess Kuveni, live in their traditional lifestyle, at Dambana.
Maduru Oya can be reached through Polonnaruwa and Manampitiya.
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