Buttala Sri Lanka - Landscape and Nature
The Southeast Corner of Sri Lanka and Yala National Park
Our jungle camp property and the local area shares flora and fauna with the more than 1000 square kilometer Yala National Park, that covers the south eastern ‘corner’ of Sri Lanka. This region, including the landscape around Buttala, Sri Lanka, is renowned for its diverse ecosystems, which are vital to the survival of its wildlife.
The Yala National Park is an agglomeration of blocks and protected areas and consists of a variety of different ecosystems, essential for the diverse wildlife that inhabits this jungle. A vast area of wild nature stretches from Tree Tops Jungle Lodge to the south- and east-coasts, and Buttala district forms a significant part of the Yala National Park region.
Talking about Yala National Park, we want to stress that there is no direct entrance into the national park from this side. Actually, in the lodge area, there is no road access into Yala.
The wilderness and forest south of Tree Tops Jungle Lodge, towards Yala, is just a wild area or buffer zone region with forest, jungles, and a small area of paddy fields as well as seasonal slash-and-burn cultivation.
Forest Ecosystems in Buttala Sri Lanka
The protected forest next to Tree Tops Jungle Lodge consists of dense dry-zone, primary tall-canopy, tropical evergreen forest as well as thorny scrub jungle outside the tall forest. Rare tropical trees and trees such as the protected ebony tree are found here, underlining the uniqueness of the landscape of Buttala Sri Lanka.
The nature around us has many plants of great medicinal value, for example neeramulliya (Hygrophilla spinosa), polpala (Aerva lantana), nilaveriya (Indigofera tinctoria), vishnukranthi (Evolvulus alsinoides), and many more; all used by natives who know the art of traditional Ayurvedic plant medicine.
Our Location Itself is not a National Park
The jungle and ecosystem outside the Yala National Park towards Tree Tops Jungle Lodge is partly:
- Mixed wild and domesticated areas cultivated in wet seasons
- Completely wild, primary tall-canopy, protected forest
The local nature in Buttala Sri Lanka is not a completely undisturbed environment. Even national parks are not necessarily undisturbed. To some extent, where wild nature starts and ends is blurred. Traditionally, people living in remote areas have been using nature, its resources, and they still do.
There is no sharp line or boundary between wild nature and non-wild nature, even though it may look like it.
However, boundaries are not for flora and fauna – only administrative. The reality is blurred and mixed, and people are using the forest. But wild animals also use the cultivated landscape (mostly at night).
Wildlife Species in the Buttala Landscape
Apart from wild elephants, the local area and forest are a natural environment for many species of wild animals. Wildlife species include Sambhar deer, Spotted deer, Barking deer, Mouse deer, Mugger (freshwater) Crocodile, Porcupine, Giant Squirrel, Wild Boar, and many more.
Sloth Bear and Leopard also live in the forest and in the hills nearby but are hardly ever seen. We do regularly see their footprints. Also, in the camp, it happens that we hear the sounds of these animals. Or, it can happen that we hear alarm calls from Spotted Deer, indicating a leopard is on a hunt.
Nearby water-hole and a leopard pawmark