Sri Lanka blessed with an abundance of flora and fauna has a long tradition of conservation.  This goes back to its ancient Buddhist tradition which teaches respect and compassion to all living things.  The world’s first wild life sanctuary was set up by Royal edict in the 3^rd c. B.C. In Mihintale (where the Buddhist doctrine was first preached) and is still a sanctuary.

Understanding the importance of conservation ecological integrity, large wilderness tracts were set aside by successive rulers as reserves for rain catchment and pest control purposes.  Today, the sanctuaries, national parks and reserves where law protects flora and fauna comprise 14% of the Island’s total land area of 65,610sq, km.

Within this land area there are more than 70 sanctuaries, national parks and a number of wetlands and mountain ranges.  Therefore, the bio-diversity in Sri Lanka is regarded to be greater per sq. meter of surface area than any other country in the Asian Region.  When Sri Lanka’s  ecosystem is compared with other Asian countries, Sri Lanka has many tropical rain forests, montane, lowland and virgin forests and wetlands.  There are also many ecosystems with mangroves, sand dunes, beaches and coral reefs.  Numbering over 220, Sri Lanka for its size has perhaps the largest number of waterfalls of any country in the world.

Sri Lanka is a global bio-diversity hot spot.  About half of its species are endemic, including all fresh water crabs, 90% amphibians, 25-75% reptiles and vertebrates, around 50% fresh water fishes, 26% flowering plants, 145 mammals and as many as non migrant birds.

Species richness is extreme and there are known to be over 3,368 species of flowering plants, 314 ferns, 575 mosses, 190 liverworts, 896 algae, 1920 fungi, 400 orchids, 242 butterflies, 117 dragonflies and damselflies, 139 mosquitoes, 525 carabis beetles, 266 land snails, 78 fresh water fishes, 250 amphibians, 92 snakes, 35 fresh water crabs, 21 geckos, 21 shinks, 322 non-migrant birds.  The island also provides critical habitat for internationally mobile species, including 5 species of endangered marine turtles, about 100 species of waterfowl, and many other migrant birds.

A world heritage site (Nature) Sri Lanka’s most beautiful and the biggest rain forest is situated close to Ratnapura and is between the villages of Rakwana, Deniyaya and Matugama.  A variety of indigenous plants and animal, flowing rivers and silent stream-lets over up nearly 9800 hectares.  Out of a total of 830 indigenous flowering plants in the island Sinharaja has nearly 500 plants and out of 21 native bird species in the country 17 species have made Sinharaja their home.  There is no end to what may be discovered during a rainforest exploration in Sri Lanka.  The awe-inspiring experience cannot be described in any words, you have to experience it.

Situated 35km Northeast of Galle it covers total about 5305.9ha and core unit of the Kanneliya forest reserve is about 5108.2ha.  Several waterways, waterfalls, rivers and small waterways.

There are high proportion of endemism among the 234 identified woody tree species, with 141 being endemic to Sri Lanka.  The trail to Kabbale Mountain and Anagimale Falls is the longest and the most adventurous walk you can do in Kanneliya Reserve.