Travel Guide Victoria Rendenigala Rantembe Sanctuary

Declared a protected area in 1987, the Victoria Randenigala Rantembe Sanctuary offers, by its location at the foot of the mountains (notably the Knuckles range to the north) and its size, a rare perspective on the region. It covers 42,089 ha and is one of the largest protected areas in Sri Lanka. It is named after the three reservoirs it contains: Victoria (2,440 ha), Randenigala (2,419 ha) and Rantembe (1,338 ha), and is often referred to by their initials (VRR). These reservoirs were created in the 1980s as part of the Accelerated Mahaweli Development Programme, which was designed to meet the country's energy needs and provide irrigation water for the dry zone. The designation of the VRR as a reserve is mainly due to the government's desire to protect the upper basin of the Mahaweli Ganga. One of the features of the sanctuary is that its fauna, which is mainly aquatic, changes regularly depending on the time of the year, climate variations and whether or not the reservoirs are supplied with water. Located in the middle zone of the country, the RVR receives between 1,500 and 1,700 mm of water per year and has an average temperature of 26°C