We have been regular visitors to Gangewadiya which is across the Southern boundary of Wilpattu National Park where Kala Oya flows into the Dutch Bay. An area that constitutes magnificent mangroves – the building blocks that give life to Eco systems.

Our expedition this day was to research the Baobab Tree and report on a specimen that was till then the subject of Folk Lore to us. Situated on the western boundary of Wilpattu it required a combination of trekking and boating to reach our subject.

The Baobab ( also refereed to as Baob or upside-down tree) is a native tree to Africa. It is also reported that there are few species of Baobab in Madagascar and Australia. The existence of Baobab Trees in Sri Lanka is a little known wonder both locally and internationally.

In Africa the tree is used for many things. The Baobab’s bark, leaves, fruit, and trunk are all used. The bark of the Baobab is used for cloth and rope, the leaves for condiments and medicines. The rope made of the inner bark has earned the following Bengal saying “As secure as an elephant bound with a Baobab rope” exemplify its sheer strength and versatility. It also has the capacity to store life giving water during  periods of drought – with quantifiable estimates confirming many hundreds of Litres.
The African Baobab tree is deciduous and some are believed to be over a thousand years old. It also produces large aromatic flowers up to 7 inches wide and some trees also produce fruit. It is said that the African baobab tree has fruits appealing to baboons and nick named monkey-bread.

As for Sri Lanka our most able boatman – Vijay, who piloted us up the Pomparippu Aru spoke in endearing terms about this tree which the local lingo has termed Ali-Gaha ( Elephant Tree) as the bark of this tree reminds them of an Elephants Epidermis.
Baobab Trees in Sri Lanka – its origins and import are to this day subject to speculation and innuendo.  One school of thought has the tree being introduced to Sri Lanka by the Kaffir community – now settled in the North West Sirambiyadi area and as well as in Trincomalee.  The other has Arabian Traders introducing it to our shores. We believe both theories hold currency.
The exact number of Baobab trees in Sri Lanka has yet to be quantified but a rough guess throws up a figure between 40 to 60 trees surviving in the North Western and Northern areas.
Although most of the trees are scattered in and around Mannar, one of the largest Baobab Trees with a circumference of over 15 meters and the subject of our expedition, is located across the Gangewadiya basin on a tributary of Pomparippu Aru. What makes this tree interesting is that less than fifty meters away from this behemoth is a much younger Baobab that earns these two trees the phrase “Mother and Child”.
This phenomenon could well be natural reproduction in process – a process that both excites and challenges us – amateur Botanists, the exact workings of which we are beholden to the scientific realm of Botany to enlighten us and foster its further success through regeneration.

Kala Oya was identified as the main source of water hydrating this area which waters thence flowed through onto Uttu Madu Aru. The Eastward tributary of Uttu Madu Aru connects with Paan Ela whilst the Western tributary flows into Pomparippu Aru.  It is along Pomparippu Aru we were to find Kumburak Pittaniya and Sri Lanka’s largest Baobab Tree.

How much longer this gigantic tree will be around is any ones guess? Reasons being as the photographs below testify -  an ever changing and naturally eroding landscape and its deleterious impact on the Baobab’s well being is but one cause for concern.
Does this tree at Gangewadiya basin need help was a question both of us had in mind when viewing this magnificent specimen after a 30 minute boat ride?  To our interested amateur eye it certainly is the case.

Our photos illustrate the point which could be one of many naturally occurring changes that need to be researched and corrective measures adopted / implemented. This requires responsible Corporates combining resources with IUCN, partnering scientific research Viz, Botany Departments at the University of Colombo and or Peradeniya to secure this lesser known Botanical Heritage of ours.

Nigel Forbes & Afsar Deen .