About the Kirala Kelaya (Cork forest)

 A charming ecosystem of natural beauty located very close to Matara city, the Kirala kelaya may not be a place you are unfamiliar with. But I'd say there are a thousand things you don't know about the Kirala kelaya, an exceptionally sensitive wetland system.

The Kirala kelaya is a unique sensitive wetland system as well as a valuable wetland area with many rare and endangered plants. This is a home to rare and endemic fresh water fish, a habitat for amphibians and reptiles, an ecosystem with an exceptionally rare butterfly population.

Above all it is a paradise for local and foreign migratory birds.

About two kilometers inland from Matara city, between the Matara-Akurassa road, the Matara-Kamburupitiya road, and the Nilwala river, the Kirala kelayais located. The Kirala kelaya, known since the past as a very valuable and attractive environment belonging to the Matara district of the southern province, is located in a river basin.Known as the former Kirala kelaya, the area is about 300 hectares covered only by mangrove communities.

According to the elderly villagers of the area, the use of the name Kirala kelaya shows that in the distant past, this area was surrounded by mangrove plants, including the mangrove plant called Sonneratia caseolaris. In addition to the cork plant, it is revealed that there were large bamboos, flowerbamboos, heen bamboos, thela, manda, carang, ratmilla, gingelly, avery bamboos, or Madiriya, leaf bamboos, and potted trees.

But the area known as the current Kirala kelaya covers about 1630 hectares, including 350 hectares of marshland. Throughout the entire area, humic 

clay soil (Humicgley Soil), swamp and semi bog (Bog and Semi bog) sandy regosols (Sandy Regosols) can be seen throughout the entire area.



Location :-

It is a wet land region located between 5°-58° to 5°-59° north latitude and 80°-31° to 80°-34° east longitude in the Matara district of the southern province of Sri Lanka. A very large area in the cork forest region. Belongs to the jurisdiction of Tihagoda Divisional Secretariat.

In addition, its southern part belongs to the Matara Divisional Secretariat Division. Its northwestern boundary belongs to the Kamburupitiya Divisional Secretariat. Kirala Forest is located at a straight line distance of 3 km from Matara city and 6.4 km from the Nilwala river mouth.



 Image by falco from Pixabay


Expect a separate article about the mangroves and birds in the Kirala kelaya.

Location: Sri Lanka

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