In 2005 the Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, A. H. M. Fowzie, instructed the Director-General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation to initiate the creation of a new national park recognising the rich biodiversity in the area.

The Minister believed that declaring the forest as a national park would assist in minimising human-elephant conflict in the area, protect villagers' cultivations and eliminate poaching and unauthorised timber logging.

The park comprises 2,570 ha (6,400 acres)[2] and is situated on the left bank of Tawalamham Hammillewa and 100 m (330 ft) south of Kapugollewa Ihala Divul Wewa.

The EHG comprises 930 ha (2,300 acres) of land within the national park with the capacity for 40 elephants.

[5][6] On 12 September 2019, the park was increased to include the land area adjacent to the Elephant Retention Centre in Horowpothana.