Nature: Yala Safari Ride
by Nilma Dole
When looking for a leopard in
Yala, make sure you’re prepared to do three safari rides, and the more
the merrier. Leopards can be quite difficult to spot even though for the
benefit of Yala nature enthusiasts, they aren’t very shy.
They know that their leopardy pictures will make it into the glossy
magazines and there they will be displayed their spots for the world to
see. However, during certain hot times of the day, they can be seen
hanging out and chilling on top of a tree.
This is how we spotted our first leopard after three fruitless safari
rides. It was well worth the effort but very difficult to photograph
with a traditional camera. If you had the Zoom Lens facility, then you
would have been in for luck.
Leopards do not pose directly instead you have to wait until they
turn a bit so that you can capture their pose. The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera
pardus kotiya), colloquially known as Kotiya in Sinhala and Puli in
Tamil, is a subspecies of leopard native to Sri Lanka.
However, “kotiya” is now the colloquial Sinhala name for the tiger
and “diviya” is used for the leopard.
A recent study indicates that the Yala National Park has one of the
highest recorded densities of leopards in the world, although this
animal is still considered to be endangered.
The Wilpattu National Park, which is rumoured to be opening next year
in January, is also renowned as the ideal location to witness the grace
of this amazing animal.
Leopards are not easy to miss as they are readily observed in parts
of Sri Lanka than in other countries where they share their habitat with
more dominant competitors, such as lions or hyaenas.
The Sri Lankan leopard is one of the nine known subspecies of
leopard. It has a coat that is tawny or likened to a rusty yellow colour,
stamped with dark spots and rosettes. Seven females that were weighed
averaged 29 kg; males averaged 56 kg, with the largest being 77 kg.
A recent study in Yala National Park (The Leopard Project) indicates
that Sri Lankan leopards are not any more social, nor less nocturnal,
than other populations. They are solitary hunters, with the exception of
females with young.
Both sexes live in overlapping territories with the ranges of males
overlapping the smaller ranges of several females, as well as
overlapping the ranges of neighbouring males. The breeding season is
throughout the year with a non-significant peak in the dry season. A
litter usually consists of 2 cubs.
Unlike some other leopards, Sri Lanka leopards appear to rarely cache
kills in trees. This is consistent with other populations where the
leopard is the apex predator as there is no requirement for them to
store their prey in places which are inaccessible to other predators.
Now declared as an endangered species, there is no poaching or
killing of the leopards at the Yala National Park and poachers will be
tried at the highest levels of court.
The Wildlife Conservation Department charges around Rs.1000 for a
group of two adults including the driver with an add-on for the tax
permit. Tourists are charged a much higher rate. Even if you aren’t
lucky to catch sight of a majestic leopard, the lovely sambar deer,
gorgeous peacocks and the birdlife are plenty of other attractions to
make you happy at Yala.
Pic: M. Ramli Mohamed
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