Leopard Spotting In Sri Lanka…The Easy Way

Tracking down the big cats of Sri Lanka is not done ponderously on foot, but rather more at times faster and on four wheels.

Although the concentration of Leopards in the country and in Yala National Park is in fact the highest in the world getting to see them often depends on the fleetness of foot of your guide/driver.

Leopard Spotting in Sri Lanka and its Yala National Park.

How soon can they get you to the location after sighting has been reported. As the numerous safari vehicles fan out in the early morning over the tracks and roads of Yala National Park. Which, in total is almost 1,000 square kilometres.

Sighting A Leopard

Seeing another stationary jeep from a distance away can often be the first clue that some interesting animal has been sighted. Then mostly by the skilled guides rather than the visitors on board!

Elephants another must see in Yala National Park Sri Lanka.

Firstly on entering the park via its several entrances its generally a matter of spotting perhaps elephants, monitor lizards, monkeys or pretty coloured birds, until a clue of a Leopard sighting is sensed!

Many colourful birds in Yala National Park are easy to see!

Then its foot down by the driver heading over the unmarked tracks with not a sign post to be seen we traverse to a possible sighting. In our first tip of the day it was to see an elephant and calf.

Yala National Park great for spotting Leopards in Sri Lanka.

Sitting high up with views over the driver’s head we bounced along the sandy tracks that zig zag through the dense bush.  How on earth the driver knows where they are in relation to other trucks and their location is quite a feat by them.  As many areas seem to look the very much the same to us visitors.

Spotting Leopards in Sri Lanka sometimes hard when the trees are in leaf.

I suppose it’s the same as saying at home, “It’s down the end of that track by the big oak tree?”

See Video Of My Encounter With A Leopard

Although very soon after, in our case that morning, we were the lucky vehicle!  For it was us that had located a Leopard meandering in front of us along an anonymous dusty narrow bush track.

Michael on the move in Yala National Park Sri Lanka.

Very slowly and quietly tracking a male big cat called Michael that moved with a slow sinuous gait totally un-concerned with our presence as we inched forward in low gear to a discrete distance from him. My long lens on my cameras meant I did not have to cramp his style!

Leopard Spotting In Sri Lanka Is Made Easy

He was more concerned about letting population of other Leopards inhabiting the park know that this was his territory and made a gnarly tree the focus of his scent marking.

Early morning sunhine on Michael the Leopard in Yala National Park Sri Lanka.

Before leaping up it around 6 foot off the ground to one of its lower branches and then settling into the canopy further frustrating us watchers as he disappeared behind a swath of green foliage.

Michael in a tree in Yala National Park Sri Lanka.

Luckily for us we had some quality time alone with Michael and were able to appreciate the sheer elegance of the animal. Further admiring the way, he paced along the track with his long tail dipping and gently swaying as he strolled looking left then right for that tree he had chosen.

Tourist arriving in their Four Wheeler. Spotting Leopards in Sri Lanka.

This was when the first of four other safari jeeps carrying their excited tourists started to arrive one at a time from points who knows around the park.

Michael the Leopard scenting a tree in Yala National Park Sri Lanka.

The additional number of vehicles did not seem to faze him as the increased noise and soft chatter would have certainly been noted by him. Leopards having such a very keen sense of sound, essential when hunting.

Leopard Spotting In Sri Lanka. Heading back into the bush Michael the Leopard in Yala.

Pretty well in his own time with the marking task completed he slide down the trunk and then leapt to the ground circling the tree base once again still very much un-concerned that there were now five jeeps blocking part of the track.

A footprint record left by  Michael the Leopard in Yala National Park.

Ducking to one side he slid under a low hanging bush and slinked away back into the denser bush of Yala. The only physical record of this encounter was  in the end a large paw mark on the track!

There is a Buzz after Spotting Leopards

A buzz of excitement shot around the vehicles with the satisfied visitors enthusing about their brief encounter.  At the same time checking and showing each other their phones and cameras to see if they did have some sort of record of the event to show to friends and family back home or for later in the hotel bar that night!

Leopard Michael encounter in Yala National Park Sri Lanka.

Yala National Park in Sri Lanka offers such a high percentage chance because of the density of the Leopard population of spotting one of these most elegant of the big cats.

The park also came good for me as not only did I tick off the Leopard but, Elephants, Crocodiles so many stunning birds but also their Sloth Bear too.

Along with the Leopard and Elephants, the bear made up what is called the ‘big three’ in Sri Lanka and all in one day…just amazing!

Mahoora Tented Camp:  https://www.mahoora.lk/