Leopard spotting in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, a country just half the size of England, is filled with beauty, breathtaking scenery and animal species you will remember forever.

Yala National Park in the south of the country is the most visited and the second largest National Park in the country, covering an expansive area of 378 sq miles. It’s climate remains mostly dry year-round, with the park mainly made up of dense jungle, unspoiled beaches, freshwater lakes and rivers, scrubland, and rocky outcrops – a combination which makes the location an ideal habitat for the many species of wildlife who call it home.

The park is home to 44 species of mammals, including a herd of about 350 Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears, wild water buffalos, Toque macaque, Golden palm Civet, Red Slender Loris and the Fishing Cat. There are also 47 reptile species of which six are endemic, including the Sri Lankan krait, Boulenger’s keelback, Sri Lankan flying snake, Painted and Fan throat lip lizards and Wiegmann’s agama. Numerous other species of amphibians, fresh-water fish and butterflies also live in the park, along with around 215 bird species, of which six are endemic – the Sri Lanka grey hornbill, Sri Lanka jungle fowl, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, crimson-fronted barbet, black capped bulbul and brown-capped babbler.

Sri Lanka is particularly famous for its sightings of the Sri Lankan leopard, a subspecies native to the country. The Sri Lankan leopard has a tawny or rusty yellow coat with dark spots and close-set rosettes, and males are thought to reach up to 100kg in weight!

Start early while you’re here with a 6am adventurous jeep safari into the park, when animals are most likely to come to the water holes. Accompanied by your experienced guide and tracker, you’ll take a route best suited to spotting as many animals as possible in their wild habitat.