This national park is also a strict nature reserve and covers about 130,000 hectares of land. It is divided into 5 blocks which consist of scrubs, light forests, grasslands, lagoons, and tanks; but only 2 of these blocks are open to the public. It is situated in southeast Sri Lanka and is home to 44 types of mammals and 215 species of birds. The best time to visit the park is between the months of February and July when the low water levels bring the animals out into the open. Though it was initially opened as a game reserve, hunting is now strictly forbidden.