Vankalai Sanctuary
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2020) |
Vankalai Sanctuary Wetland | |
|---|---|
  Vankalai Sanctuary Wetland | |
| Coordinates: 8°56′N 79°55′E / 8.933°N 79.917°E | |
| Location | Vankalai, Mannar, Sri Lanka |
| Part of | Mannar District |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4,839 hectares (11,960 acres) |
| Official name | Vankalai Sanctuary |
| Designated | 12 July 2010 |
| Reference no. | 1910[1] |
Vankalai Sanctuary, also known as the Mannar Bird Sanctuary, is located in the northwest of Sri Lanka in the Mannar District. This site covers an area of 4,839 ha (11,960 acres).
The region was designated as a sanctuary by the Department of Wildlife Conservation in 2008, and it offers a range of ecosystems (mangroves, salt marshes, lagoons, waterholes, and grasslands). In July 2010 it was selected as the fourth Ramsar wetland in Sri Lanka.[2]
The sanctuary harbours more than 150 distinct bird species, including the
Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Vankalai Sanctuary". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ Thasarathan, Nadarajapillai; Suthakar, Karunakaran (2017) Mangrove cover change detection in Vankalai birds sanctuary in Mannar District of Sri Lanka using Landsat satellites imageries NARA Scientific Sessions
- ^ "Introduction of a community-based management model for Vankalai Wetland Ecosystem, Mannar, Sri Lanka". Mangroves for the Future. Retrieved 31 May 2023.