Udawalawe Reservoir dam: spillway elephant sightings and river crossing rules?
Where can travelers spot wild elephants along the Udawalawe dam causeway on the B35 road, and what safety rules govern roadside stops?
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3 Answers from travellers
The 4km earthen embankment dam of the Udawalawe Reservoir carries the main B35 Thanamalwila highway. Solitary wild bull elephants—most famously "Rambo"—frequently patrol the electric fence boundary bordering the dam causeway during late afternoon (4:00 PM to 6:30 PM), begging for food from passing vehicles. The DWC strictly prohibits feeding roadside elephants (penalties apply under wildlife protection laws); feeding habituates bulls to vehicle traffic, triggering aggressive charges when vehicles do not stop with fruit.
Motorists must remain inside enclosed vehicles with windows rolled up; never disembark from cars or tuk-tuks to take close-up roadside elephant portraits.
The top of the dam offers scenic views across the reservoir to the backdrop of the distant Horton Plains and Balangoda mountain escarpments.
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