Protected areas of Sri Lanka

Part of a series on
Wildlife of Sri Lanka
Protected areas Protected areas of Sri Lanka National parks Biosphere reserves Sanctuaries
Flora and fauna Vertebrates Birds Endemics Mammals Endemics Amphibians Reptiles Freshwater fish Introduced fish Cartilage fish Commercial fish Invertebrates Butterflies Beetles Moths Dipterans Mosquitoes Hymenopterans Orthopterans Cockroaches Termites Earwigs Lacewings Phasmid Hemiptera Mantids Minor insects Bees Odonates Aphids Ants Freshwater crabs Non-marine molluscs Myriapods Spiders Tarantulas Scorpions Hard ticks Mites Isopods Pseudoscorpions Lesser arachnids Echinoderms Flora Trees Mangroves Pteridophytes
Gardens Zoological gardens Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Dehiwala Zoo Pinnawala Open Zoo Ridiyagama Safari Park Botanical gardens Hakgala Henarathgoda Mirijjawila Peradeniya Seetawaka
Organizations Authorities Department of Forest Conservation Department of Wildlife Conservation Civil societies Field Ornithology Group
Related topics Deforestation Ecoregions Tourism
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Protected areas of Sri Lanka are administrated by Department of Forest Conservation and Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka.There are 501 protected areas in Sri Lanka.^[1] The protected areas that fall under supervision of the Department of Forest Conservation include forests defined in National Heritage Wilderness Area Act in 1988, forest reservations, and forests managed for sustainability.^[2] Sinharaja Forest Reserve is an example for a National Heritage forest (it is also a World Heritage Site). There are 32 forests categorized as conservation forests including Knuckles Mountain Range. Strict nature reserves, national parks, nature reserves, forest corridors, and sanctuaries recognized under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance are managed by Department of Wildlife Conservation. Total of all protected areas is 1,767,000 ha. Protected areas in Sri Lanka account for 26.5 percent of the total area.^[1] This is a higher percentage of protected areas than in all of Asia and much of the World.