When was Udawalawe National Park established?

Udawalawe National Park was officially established and gazetted on June 30, 1972.

The main purpose of its creation was to function as a protected catchment zone for the newly built Udawalawe Reservoir. More importantly, it was formed to offer a safe and wide wildlife refuge for the wild elephants that had been displaced by the large Walawe River hydroelectric and farming development projects happening in nearby areas.