Minneriya National Park is a national park in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, originally declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1938.[1] The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of the Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in the third century AD. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population dwelling in forests of the Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts. The park earned revenue of Rs. 10.7 million in the six months ending in August 2009.[2] Along with Kaudulla and Girithale, Minneriya forms one of the 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Sri Lanka.[3] The park is situated 182 kilometres (113 mi) from Colombo.