A little bit of Sri Lanka comes to the UK. ''Uda Walawe'', Sri  Lanka's National Park, inspires a permanent Elephant Experience at Twycross Zoo

Uda Walawe National Park in Sri Lanka, was in part set up to provide a sanctuary for many wild animals. Approximately three hundred elephants are believed to permanently reside there.  The sanctuary is also home to water buffalo, water monitor lizards, sambar deer, monkeys and the occasional leopard.  It is an important site for unique bird species, recently experienced by British expert Bill Oddie. Sensitive and well managed eco-tourism is an important source of income for local people in Sri Lanka and provides an incentive to continue to protect the wildlife. The National Park is the first in Sri Lanka to run a reintroduction programme for orphaned elephants back to the wild, so far they have successfully reintroduced over 15 elephants.  .

Twycross Zoo in the East Midlands, opened its new £1million attraction on 28 July 2010. The Sri Lanka inspired elephant habitat and walkway  "Uda Walawe" gives visitors an insight into Sri Lanka and asian elephants in their natural habitat. Like the Sri Lankan Park it will promote the conservation of the Asian elephants and act as a shop window for crucial wildlife conservation programmes in Sri Lanka

"Uda Walawe" UK  is the first Sri Lanka themed elephant habitiat in the Western Hemisphere.  It  was the brainchild of Mr Vasantha Nugegoda a world renowned Zoologist and designer of Zoological enclosures across the world. The UK office of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has facilitated this project from its inception. 

Sanjika Perera, Director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in the UK commented, "We are delighted to be associated with Twycross Zoo and the Uda Walawe project. It gives visitors an authentic, bite-size experience of Sri Lanka that will tempt them to visit Sri Lanka and explore our beautiful country. The UK is a very important source market for Sri Lanka Tourism, the Uda Walawe enclosure will certainly generate interest in Sri Lankan wildlife and the country as a whole."