Yala leopards most elusive attractions in the world

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

Yala has evolved from a great place for safaris, to be Asia's top national park to observe and photograph leopards, said John Keells Group Head of Wildlife Tourism, Chitral Jayatilake.

He said that leopards of the Yala sanctuary are one of the most elusive attractions in the world.

A recent study has revealed that the Yala National Park has one of the highest recorded densities of leopards although the animal is considered to be endangered.

The Wilpattu national park is also known as a fine place to watch leopards. Leopards could be observed in more parts of Sri Lanka than in other countries where they share their habitat with dominant predators such as lions and hyenas.

The Sri Lankan leopard is one of the nine leopard species in the world with a tawny and rusty yellow coat stamped with dark spots and rosettes. Although it is the country's top predator, little is known about the cat so far.

Ongoing research reveals that the leopard is found in and out of protected areas of the country.

"Block 1 of the Yala sanctuary is home to around 60-70 leopards with nearly 30 adults and 30 cubs.We could be proud of the density of leopards in a small land mass", Jayatilake said.

A unique feature of the Sri Lankan cat is that it could be observed easily during the day, as most cats prefer to hunt during the night.

The Sri Lankan leopard is pragmatic in its choice of diet which includes small mammals, birds, reptiles and large animals. The spotted deer make up the majority of its diet in the dry zone, while the Sambhur wild boar, monkeys and buffaloes fall prey to the crafty hunter.

Wildlife experts have said that Sri Lankan leopards are no more social than other leopard species. They are solitary hunters with the exception of the female who is with the young.

Sri Lanka is established as a bio-diversity hotspot in the world studded with many remarkable attributes of nature and is home to the 'gathering' which has been declared as the sixth greatest wildlife spectacle in the world.

Recent surveys revealed that Sri Lanka is home to around 5,800 elephants with some of the spectacular gatherings in Minneriya, Yala and Wilpattu.

"Blue whales, off-shore birds, butterflies, sloth bears, reptiles and endemic species in rain-fed forests are some of the diverse attractions of Sri Lanka", Jayatilake said.

Sri Lanka Tourism declared September as the month to promote wildlife tourism in the 'Visit Sri Lanka campaign' that kicked off this year. Sri Lanka tourism anticipates around 700,000 visitors this year.