Pannila, Matugama - Aranya Foundation

Aranya, a 15 Acre property in Pannila, is located within 5 km of the Rare Species site location south-east of Welipenna, near Uthumgama, and is also in within a similar distance of the Yagirala Forest reserve, a two thousand hectare reserve which appears to be a "true tropical rain forest" and is as old as Sinharaja. Almost two-thirds of the property is secondary forest with forest patches and plantations around the area. Natural streams and small caves exist within the property which result in the added diversity of species. The location was signed up in July 2021. These regions were the extended ranges of Sinharaja of old and continue to be the habitat for many endemics and rare species. Almost a hundred bird species have already been spotted here plus many rare and endangered other species. Adjacent lands are being rapidly cleared as the pressure mounts on transforming trees and lands into economic assets. Aranya is a sanskrit word which means Forest or Wilderness and is interpreted as a Quiet Place and the future aspiration of the Aranya Foundation is to have more research conducted on the facility, while accommodating small numbers of guests who are keen on nature.