'Wild Space' through Rukshan's lens:

Take only photos, leave only footprints

By Ananth Palakidnar

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Shoot not with guns, but cameras, the slogan that was put forward by wildlife enthusiasts when the wild species were gunned down for pleasure continued unabated and had made the difference with wildlife photography becoming more popular around the world. The slogan also became a key factor in creating awareness on protecting the wilderness.

A son of Ravi Jayewardene who is one of the foremost marksmen in the country, cultivated an interest in flora and fauna when he was a student at Royal College, Colombo and carried a camera at an early age to develop his skills in wildlife photography.

His enthusiasm in wildlife photography earned him international recognition of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2002. His pictures were among the hundred best entries that were selected by BBC out of twenty-thousand entries sent from various parts of the world.

The best of Rukshan's pictures along with hundred other entries picked up by the BBC were exhibited between 2002 and 2003 in the USA, Canada and Australia.

"At the age of twenty-one I began to focus seriously on nature photography.I did my higher studies at the University of Maryland, USA and my subjects were on nature. However, the abiding interest towards wildlife and animals from my childhood by watching insects, birds and the wildlife safaris with my parents made me engage seriously in wildlife photography" says Rukshan who had taken most of his wildlife photographs spending long hours and days in the jungles of Sri Lanka.

Rukshan focused mainly on leopards in the jungles of Wilpattu and Yala. Whenever he went in search of leopards he was always lucky enough to find them without much delay unlike most of the leopard watchers who dedicate several hours to spot the animal.

In 1999 Rukshan got involved in a project to bring out a book on Sri Lanka's leopards. For this project he had to do an extensive research on the leopards in the island.

Finally in July 2003 Rukshan and his teammates succeeded in completing their book on leopards. Along with several articles the book contained photographs of leopards and Rukshan was one of the three contributors of those photographs.

According to Rukshan, the research he had carried out for the book on leopards, made him more fascinated towards the animal. Rukshan had spent eight years in Yala and Wilpattu from 1997-2007. In Yala alone he had spent one week every month and visited Wilpattu on and off on the other days.

Once he spotted a leopard cub while he was driving his Landrover deep into the jungles of Wilpattu. The cub came near the vehicle looking at it curiously. Taken up by the innocence of the leopard cub Rukshan prepared his camera to take closer shots of the cub.

However he was taken a back when the mother leopard appeared from the bushes and growled at him. " I slowly moved on from there.

On another occasion in Wilapattu, he had witnessed a leopard killing a wild boar by tearing its chest. The wild boar already wounded in one of its legs became an easy target to the leopard as it could not run fast. Soon after it was killed by the leopard which enjoyed tasting every part of the wild boar and this was an `ideal shot'- a `good food,' for Rukshan's camera as well.

Whenever he is out in the jungles he spends around nine hours beginning with the first light in the morning. When the light grows Rukshan begins his trek for animals following the footprints and other marks left by them.

According to Rukshan, there are several forests in the island where leopards could be seen but Wilpattu and Yala are the best places to watch the animal.

Rukshan has also snapped elephants, buffaloes, Jackals and bears along with several rare species of birds such as booted eagles and Indian rollers which is also known as blue-J.

Rukshan has also gone on safaris in various prominent wildlife parks and game reserves in Africa and India where he had filmed lions and tigers along with various other wild species.

The Moremi game reserve in Botswana, Masaimara and Samburu in Kenya, Kruger wildlife park and the Londolozi game reserve in South Africa are some of the parks where Rukshan made his safaris in Africa and he says those jungles have more diversity of animals.

As far as the wildlife conservation is concerned Rukshan has great admiration for the African state Botswana and according to him eighty percent of the land area in Botswana is still covered with jungles and the country has excellent wildlife conservation plans.

In India, Rukshan went in search of tigers in the Kanha and Bandavgarh National parks in central India.

Tigers are found only in India and South East Asia. Rukshan has toured the Indian tiger sanctuaries on more than one occasion to take shots of the deadly animal.

Rukshan will hold his third exhibition of wildlife photographs titled `Wild Space' from November 25 to December 7 at the Barefoot Gallery in Bambalapitiya.

His first exhibition was held in 2002 and the second was in 2003.

"Wildlife should be protected at all costs as animals in the wilds cannot fight against human beings or air their grievances in Parliament. Therefore, respecting them and their territories is the best we could do to protect their existence in the planet" says the forty-seven year old Rukshan Jayewardene.