Unbelievable Leopard Encounter at Horton Plains National Park

The misty highland wilderness of Horton Plains National Park has been part of my life from way back when I was an infant when my parents took me as at 3 months old to this amazing cloud forest haven. 

Since then I have made this my second home and have travelled there extensively throughout my life. From catching a train to Ohiya and then hiking all the way up to the plains or on many birding tours to the park to catch the amazing highland endemic birds as well as rare migrants. 

Throughout this time, one animal, in particular, fascinated me and kept me wondering when I would ever see one. This is none other than the apex predator of these misty plains, the Sri Lankan Leopard. 

Even though Sri Lanka has national parks such as Yala and Wilpattu which are famed for their leopard sightings, the thought of seeing a leopard in the misty highlands of Sri Lanka has always fascinated me. 

I always imagined that the leopards of the hills would be much larger and to see one in an environment visited by so many people every year and yet such as a handful of sightings truly excited me. 

As the years went by, I obtained many reports of encounters in the park, even during the daytime by park officers as well as regular transport suppliers who bring tourists to the park from Nuwara Eliya. 

This made me decide to try my hand at photographing one. 

My quest to find leopards began in 2015 when I set off to the park with high hopes of finding one. I learnt that time that this is not going to be easy. 

Over the years, I kept trying continuously and in 2017 I had my first sighting, though fleeting a worthy encounter. Thus began my long odyssey in trying to obtain a captivating photograph of this mysterious big cat of the hills. 

Through the next few years, I had many times where we went back home empty-handed, and sometimes with narrow misses and fleeting glances. 

Through all these failures, I gradually learned the leopard's movements, behaviors, how to spot them, what tell tale signs to look for and so much more. This was an expensive investment that I hoped one day would pay off with a great close-up encounter. 

As time passed, I was developing the knack to find these predators, and even then I would say the hit rate is very low compared to other national parks. 

This year, making full use of my annual leave, I took a week of leave and set off on my own account renting a car along with my trusty friend, colleague, and seasoned wildlife guide Hetti (Supurna Hettiarachchi), with whom I traveled a month before as well to Horton Plains and has some fairly decent sightings of leopards. 

This time, I planned to spend 5 nights exploring Horton Plains. The first day itself I encountered the famous family of the female leopard code-named HPF 04 (Horton Plains Female 04) and her 3 cubs, who were out far away on a hill. It was interesting to observe them, but the distance away from me hindered any good photography. 

The next two days were terrible with heavy rains and mist which hindered our attempt in finding any leopards. 

On the fourth day, we were joined by some friends who were very keen to travel with me to try and see the leopards as well as the amazing birdlife of the park. 

That evening we were blessed with a fantastic encounter with the young male HPM 08 the cub of HPF 04. Initially, he was spotted hiding behind some grass tussocks and peeping out once in a while to check his surroundings. As time went he slunk back into the forest cover. 

 With knowledge of his movements, I went to the other side of the forest in anticipation of him appearing from this side. There was a large Sambhur stag who was displaying the typical alarm behavior from calling out loudly and stoping his front legs. 

After waiting around 10 minutes, I once again thought of driving towards the location he was originally seen in just to check if he has appeared on that side once again. As he was not there, we drove back to the other side. As soon as we arrived there we found the leopard stalking the sambhur and trying to chase him. Given the apparent massive size difference it is highly unlikely he can take down such large prey, but yet given his age, he is practicing stalking and hunting with anything he sees.

After the sambhur decided hell have none of this and ran away, the leopard simply sat down and settled in. As the light was fading, we had to exit the park at 6.00 PM. 

The next day morning we drove in with excitement and were rewarded with a glimpse of the two female cubs of HPF 04 walking along the main road towards us. Halting immediately we observed the cats slinking into the deep forest. Despite waiting hours hoping they would come back to the road, they never did. We continued exploring the park and birding throughout the rest of the day.

The following day, we went in as always at 6 am and explored the entire track from Pattipola to Ohiya entrances. 

As we were driving back towards the Pattipola side, I noticed the Sambhur behaving strangely. As one female gave out a single alarm call. Initially, I thought it might have been a false alarm given it was a single call, but she was staring intently in our direction. We looked to the right side of our car, and I suddenly noticed a leoapard like a shape in the grass. I look out my telephoto lens and fired a shot to verify, but the shot was just of some dried-up grass. I thought it was a false alarm at first, but when I looked again from my naked eye again I saw a shape like a leopard's head through the grass. Once again I looked through my lens and this time it truly was a leopard. I knew at that moment, that initially what occurred was that the cat had hidden for a few seconds when I checked. 

Noticing the spot pattern I once again knew this was HPM 08 as he observed his surroundings through the long grass. After a few seconds, he slunk back into the forest. 

Hetti suggested he might cross the road and go into the forest to our left. But I thought he might come out from the other side, and drove ahead to check. 

I was wrong in this case as after waiting for over 2 hours in anticipation, Hetti's prediction came true. 

While waiting patiently, we suddenly noticed a sambhur doe keenly observing a section of the forest to our left. Then she started stomping which is a tell-tale sign that she's noticed a leopard. Suddenly a large stag came up to the bushes at the edge of the forest and began belting a loud alarm call while stomping profusely. 

We also got the smell of rotten meat from the forests which means there is a kill inside and the leopard was feeding on it, giving out the pungent smell. 

We waited in excitement for the cat to appear as the sambhur kept calling nonstop. 

While we were waiting, many visitors passed us by who had come to do the World End walk which is very popular with locals and foreigners alike. Unaware of sambhur behavior many cars stopped right next to the bush where the leopard is and was photographing the alarmed sambhur with their mobile phones. 

We called them ahead and informed whats going on and asked them to park their cars properly at a distance so as not to disturb this natural sequence and watch. Almost all the cars got petrified when I told them there is a leopard in the bush, and one even put their shutters up in fright and drove away towards the park office. 

While we waited a few minutes, suddenly the leopard jumped onto the road and walked away from us. We followed him a short distance away. All of a sudden the young male cat got on a small tree by the roadside and looked at us. Given I was in a car, it was very difficult to photograph something right in front of us without twisting myself profusely to get that shot which was for a few seconds, before the cat got back on the road and went into the forest to our right. 

Driving up ahead we waited in the open, knowing from experience that he's going to come out at some time or the other. Our anticipation was right as the leopard came out to the edge of the opening on the other side, looked at us for a few seconds, and proceeded to walk along the edge to the far corner of the opening where he sat down and watched us and the vehicles passing by (all of whom didn't notice the leopard watching them). After around 10-15 minutes he retired to the back of a bush and laid down to sleep after feasting on the kill. 

Elated we waited. Cars came and went, passing us by, oblivious to the predator sleeping peacefully. Many vehicles blaring loud music and loud people shouting and screaming, with no regard for the park rules and tranquility of this environment. Some even let out lewd gestures and crude remarks at us. The typical drunkard local crowd who come with drums and guitars, drunk out of mind to have some crude fun at the expense of the calm and peacefulness of nature. We spoke out and asked them to kindly leave that area without creating a scene, for which all did give the irritation in our tones. 

Most visitors are unaware that there are leopards in this park and drive away in fear and alarm. Some try and get down from the car and try and walk around looking for it. We had several of these kinds of people as we waited patiently. 

It was almost 4 hours of waiting for us. The weather kept changing from bright and sunny to cold and gloomy. Despite this, we waited, in patience and anticipation. We had no food as we planned on going down to our bungalow for lunch, but we canceled our plans for food with this sighting. We had run out of water as well but decided not to move from this spot in case we miss something amazing. 

In hunger and thirst, we waited hours and hours, patiently in hope of a glimpse of this amazing cat once again. 

As the hours passed we kept checking behind the bush to see if the cat was still there. We used to get a slight view of a few spots which confirmed he was still there. 

Then, out of nowhere a massive sambhur stag appeared and came stomping towards the area where the leopard was in deep slumber. This was the largest stag we had seen in a while, and he was clearly trying to showcase his dominance by raising his head high and walking with loud stomps. 

This alarmed the sleeping leopard who woke up in a daze and dashed into the bushes nearby. Then the sambhur to further intimidate got on his hind legs and began licking and rubbing his antlers on the topmost branches of a tree. 

All of a sudden the leopard jumped out and ran towards the sambhur, and jumped onto the tree. The same tree the sambhur was rubbing his antlers on a second ago. The sambhur was unphased as he looked with an alarming gesture, head raised high and tail raised up in the air at this young leopard. 

The leopard initially tried to claw the tree to possibly sharpen its claws or maybe in sheer nervousness from what happened. 

Then the sambhur slowly walked past the leopard who was still perched on the trunk of the tree, as he watched the massive deer intently. 

After the deer walked away, the leopard remained on the tree for a few minutes, after which it descended to the ground and began walking towards the deer. 

Sitting down thereafter he observed his surroundings for several minutes, before walking back towards the edge and slinking back into the bush. 

We were overjoyed. We never expected such action and such amazing sequences in our wildest dreams. This was truly the most unforgettable leopard experience of my life. 

We waited patiently for several more hours, and during this time the leopard crossed the road and moved to the other side. Here he attempted to stalk a sambhur once again, after which he simply sat down and enjoyed the afternoon sun. 

We continued to observe him appear from time and time again that day until we left him to his own as the sunset. 

All the while many random visitors drove by oblivious to this magical wildlife encounter we just witnessed. 

Many like to say this is thanks to luck. But I would beg to differ.

Sightings like this come due to many factors.

Number 1- Hard Work, tons of it. People don't realize the amount of effort, time, and resources put to get such a sighting. It accounts for many days of tirelessly traveling to this area on a continuous basis, braving the constant rain, wind, and cold, and working tirelessly from 6 am to 6 pm on all these days scanning every blade of grass, leaf, tree, and bush for any signs. 

Number 2  Knowledge on Horton Plains leopard behavior and overall fieldcraft and knowledge. Years of study and observation give you insight into the secretive lives of these amazing big cats. It takes a lot of anticipation and quick decision-making based on evidence to get such a sighting. Every single leopard sighting here we have to work tirelessly to obtain. Nothing is merely lucky. Anticipating where the leopard will show up from, listening to the telltale signs such as droppings the body language, and alarms of prey animals such as Sambur, Barking Deer, Purple Faced Leaf Monkey, Jungle Fowl, and many others.

Number 3  Teamwork.    Sightings or chances of sightings are increased if we work together hence having like-minded friends with you to spread out and keep an eye out help

So no, this is not a lucky shot, this took years of hard work, returning back home many times empty-handed, spending alot of money on travel expenses, and countless days of waking up at 4 am and scanning and driving around from sunrise to sunset. 

This was the culmination of 6 years of dedication and hard work.

The Story of Tim- The Mighty Tusker of Amboseli

This is the story of Tim, the most famous African elephant in recent memory. He was the most impressive elephant I have ever encountered in the years of travels in the wilds, and will always be my favorite and most memorable.

Tim’s life began in the savannah’s and swamps of Amboseli National Park in Kenya, East Africa. He was estimated to be born in 1969, to the famous “T” family, which was this named and categorized by the iconic Dr Cynthia Moss and her elephant research team in Amboseli National Park. Hence the letter is given to this family, all members females and calves born to this family were given names with the letter “T”. This when Trista gave birth to a healthy male elephant in 1969 he was named Tim. His grandmother Teresia also had long straight tusks, and she bore another two big tuskers a male and female named Tolstoy and Theodora.

Over the years the genes of the T Family which results in large tusks showed clearly as he grew to become a fine young bull, and as he matured his ivory grew to its distinctive shape. One tusk almost touching the ground and the other curved inwards.

Tim in 2012 still maturing and growing

Thankfully poaching in Amboseli was quite low and hence he managed to survive until full maturity, and became one of the most dominant bulls in the eco system.

Despite this, he was well known as a crop raider and used to rain many of the plantations and farms outside the protected park boundary. In 2014 he was treated to a bad injury in the rump by a spear.

In 2016 he was seen with a spear sticking out of his head, and knowing there was relative safety in the park he was seen walking around with this injury until he was subsequently treated. 

Tim with a spear sticking out of his head

Tim being treated for a spear wound

In September of the same year, the park decided to radio collar him in order to help keep track of him and his movements and hopefully avoid further issues.

Tim being darted and tranquilized to fit a radio collar on him

Tim with his new radio collar

But this did not stop him, and around 2018 he broke his collar. He continues to get into mis-haps and near death experiences it seems as once again in December 2018 he got stuck in deep mud in the Kimana swamp. The rangers of the Big Life Foundation were alerted and a herculean operation ensued where he was pulled by a tractor with multiple breakages of the straps, to gradually pull him over 25m over muddy terrain to finally enable him to gain a firm footing at the last light of day, and avert a disaster.

Tim stuck in the mud

Tim stuck in the mud

He was often found outside the park itself mostly in nearby surrounding conservancies and forest patches during the day, usually accompanied by a large group of young males who follow him. Sometimes his relative and “uncle” Tolstoy was also seen with him and when I visited in 2019 his lookalike Craig who had similar tusk shapes albeit slightly smaller was with him. The rangers have a daily task of chasing him and the others back to safety as they end up raiding many of the crops in the local farms, eating the fresh product like tomatoes. This would en-rage the villagers and the fear was always there for retaliatory action against Tim.

Sadly and shockingly, Tim died in February 2020, apparently due to natural causes which were said to be a twisted gut. But the question remains if the multiple tranquilizers used to sedate him for different purposes over the years took a toll on his health. Nevertheless he was gone to us, and it came as an absolute shock to many around the world. Tim had managed to capture the minds and hearts of thousands of people the world over.

His tusks were massive and once extracted and weighed were a an astounding 71 KG and 68KG each. If he had survived a few years longer, his tusks might have even reached 80KG. 

My memories with him will remain forever engraved in my heart. From my first quest to see him in 2016, and how I finally saw him on the final day of our tour. I still remember my adrenaline pumping hours after our encounter. It was like nothing I could have imagined. My life’s dream of photographing a big tusker of Africa became a reality.

Then three years later, I once again met him face to face outside the park, this time much closer and on foot. Spending over 3 hours with him and his companion Craig, it was truly an unforgettable experience. Sadly I never realized that this would be the last time we see each other again as he died the next year a week before we were to leave for Kenya to try and see him again.

The memory and legacy of Tim will last forever and he will always be the gentle giant of my heart. 

Sri Lanka's top 5 places to see Leopards

Sri Lanka undoubtedly is the land of the leopard. This is one of the few places in the world where the leopard can claim the moniker of the apex predator of the wilderness. In other continents and countries such as India or Africa, the leopard needs to compete with larger and more formidable predators such as lions, tigers, and even Hyenas in the case of Africa.

In Sri Lanka, there is no such predator to compete with the leopard. The occasional scuffle with a wild boar and a sloth bear has been known to occur, but overall the leopards are free to hunt and feed unabated.

This level of freedom has further enabled some of the best daytime sightings of these magnificent predators on the island. Being the top predator in its habitat the leopards are more confident and can be seen out in the open, completely relaxed.

The Sri Lanka Leopard is a unique subspecies that is native to this island. They are also the largest subspecies along with the Iranian Leopard. For a trained eye, one can easily spot the difference between for example an African Leopard and a Sri Lankan Leopard. The facial structure and coloration are the key differentiators.

Hence for anyone who is keen on covering as many species and subspecies as possible, it is important to visit Sri Lanka and try and photograph and see the Sri Lankan Leopard.

That being the case, the question would arise which is the best place to see leopards in Sri Lanka?

This is a worthy question as Leopards are found in many parts of the island, but they are not seen as well in all places, especially in areas where they are not habituated.

This too is important as habituation to humans and vehicles is key in having great leopard sightings.

From decades of observation and hours spent in the field here are my top 5 places to see leopards in Sri Lanka

 

#1 – Yala National Park (Block 1)

Undoubtedly the top spot has to go to Yala National Park, the crown jewel of safari parks in the country. This is truly the land of the leopard, with some of the highest if not the highest densities of these amazing predators in the world. The sightings of a beautiful cat walking across the open plains or atop a rocky outcrop is a signature sight in Yala National Park. There are many famous leopards that have become household names in Yala. In the past big males such as the “Chaitya Male” (known to have been big and strong enough to bring down an adult buffalo) and Hamu was iconic. At present, a very detailed study on the leopards of the park are being carried out whereby over 130 individual leopards have been identified. Even now, new individuals keen getting identified, which showcases the vast density of these predators in such as small area which is only 142 Square Kilometers. Some of the notable characters during the present era to emerge from Yala are – Lucas, Julius, Harak Hora, and Aster to name a few. A very informative “Leopard Center” is present in the park where visitors can learn more about these predators and also compare one’s own sightings with the virtual database and try and identify the leopards they have spotted while on safari.

 

#2- Wilpattu National Park

The land of lakes, Wilpattu is located on the North-Western end of the island. This is Sri Lanka’s largest national park and is quite a contrast to the landscape of Yala. Where Yala is mostly dry scrub forest, open lagoons, and plains, as well as many rocky outcrops, Wilpattu is denser with dark forests being the dominant landscape, along with few open spaces which are usually consisting of natural lakes known as Villus. The dense dark forests make it quite difficult to see these predators, but when they do come onto the roads it is a sight to behold. The open sand-brimmed lakes are some of the most beautiful settings to view these magnificent predators. The park was closed for many years during the time of the civil war and was finally opened to the public in 2010. During this time, the leopards were very shy and sightings were almost nonexistent. But over time, after a few years of continuous visitation, the leopards gradually became habituated enough to give some great sightings. Through the years, Wilpattu has become increasingly popular, especially with wildlife purists who seek more private and quieter moments compared to Yala which can tend to be congested and crowded. The chances of seeking leopards in Wilpattu is somewhat harder than Yala, but usually, the reward of the sighting is far greater most of the time due to the lower numbers in the park and the ability to spread out across the landscape given the size of the park. One of the most photographed leopards from back in the day was the infamous “Prince” a.k.a “Natta” who was a young male leopard who was born in the Kompanchi Sampuwal/Pomparippu area and later moved around to many parts of the park. He was at one time the most photographed leopard in Sri Lanka, giving shows like no other, often sleeping in the middle of the road paying no need to the on-looking people and vehicles. He was named Natta due to the fact that the end of his tail fell off due to an injury probably with a wild boar or another leopard. He is still alive but has been driven out to the fringes of the park by larger and more dominant males. One of the most famous and well-loved males of the park is the Nelum Wila Male, a massive individual who has a large home range and is seen quite often walking without fear of people. He is the current star of the park and one who literally poses for the photograph. When it comes to the female’s one of the most beloved leopards has to be “Cleopatra” the beautiful female who was known as a playful cub from Borupanwila. Now a successful mother with her own brood of cubs is seen by lucky visitors mostly in the Mahapatessa area with her cubs.

 

#3 Kumana National Park

 

Kumana, the land of mystery and awe is located on the far eastern corner of the island. In fact, it is connected to Yala and is part of the same ecosystem. But due to the access and location, it is quite a long drive to reach compared to Yala. Kumana was initially famous as a bird sanctuary with many species of birds nesting in the waters of Kumana Villu. But in the last decade or so, there has been an increasing number of leopard sightings in the park. The legends say the leopards of Kumana are known “man-eaters” and the leopards of Lenama (an area in the park) are mythically known to be larger and deadlier. But the reality is that these too are the same leopards that you see in Yala. But there have been cases of man-eaters in the park which are more than in many other parts of the island. In 2019 a construction worker was taken and eaten by a large male, who subsequently attacked and severely injured another individual who went to retrieve the body of the victim. Thereafter in 2020, another leopard attacked a farmer in the nearby area of Panama while sleeping in his watch hut. The man succumbed to his injuries. The same leopard thereafter attacked a few men on patrol at night in the fringes of their farms. The authorities managed to capture the culprit who was released deep inside the park which caused much controversy.

Despite these individual cases, the number of sightings of leopards is increasing as the animals become more habituated. The advantage of seeing leopards in Kumana is the privacy and lack of large crowds. Given the remoteness and difficulty to get to the park has resulted in making this one of Sri Lanka’s best-kept secrets.

#4 Veheragala (Yala Block 5)

 

Veheragala National Park also known as Yala Block 5 became popular in the last 6 years as an alternative to Yala Block 5. The small land extends borders the giant Veheragala reservoir and is less visited than its more famous counterpart. This park is also known for its fair number of leopards, often seen on the main road which runs through the park. The high density of prey animals such as Spotted Deer and Grey Langur may have resulted in the number of leopards seen, and gradual habituation has helped greatly in giving quality sightings. This is a great park to combine with when visiting Block 1 in order to get away from crowds and to get a change in landscape.

 

#5 Horton Plains National Park

 

The misty highlands of Sri Lanka is hardly a place one would imagine encountering a leopard but despite this, historically the highlands was where most of the islands forest cover was and where most of the wildlife animals roamed. With the onset of the British taking over the country, they cleared these vast forests, to grow Coffee and subsequently Tea.

One of the last remaining highland wilderness refuges is Horton Plains, National Park. Located over 2500 meters above sea level this montane wilderness is set atop a high plateau and is one of Mother Nature’s spectacular wonders.

Once even used by the government at the time to grow potatoes, it was later declared a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This land is one of the most sensitive and ecologically important locations in the country with a vast number of plant and animal life endemic and found nowhere else in the world.

The park was very popular for its scenic landscapes and walking trails. Subsequently was highly valued as a top birding destination to see some of the rare highland endemic species.

In the last few years, through countless visits and patience, this too has produced some unforgettable leopard encounters.

The kings of this domain, these predators are found in the deep dense cloud forests and on the fringes of the open plains which are the main landscapes of this habitat.

Feeding primarily on Sambhur the largest species of deer in Sri Lanka these cats seem to have a few physiological differences to their lowland cousins. The Horton Plains Leopards seem to be much larger in physical size and their faces wider with shorter muzzle areas giving them a stouter and wider look.

A study carried out by a a scientific team consisting of Dr Enoka Kudavidanage in 2020 has identified 23 adult leopards found in the park.

Seeing these majestic predators is much harder than in the lowlands but with a trained eye and patience you might have a chance in getting a glimpse of these highland beauties.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last stand of the Tuskers of Sri Lanka

 What is a tusker and why are they so special in Sri Lanka? This is a question many people asked me over the years. The truth is that no only the fact that only 7% of the male elephants in Sri Lanka carries tusks, which makes them so rare and special, but the aura and behavior of a tusker are so much more special. They are the true monarchs of the wilds of Lanka. When a tusker comes out into the open and joins a grazing herd of elephants, you feel his presence. They are the “rockstars” of elephant society. The most desirable male for receptive females to mate with, the most intimidating rival for other male elephants.

The tale of tuskers of Sri Lanka can date back several thousand years. The mainland of Asia once connected to our island via a land bridge has its own sub-species of elephants. Historically scientific evidence states that 97% of males are supposed to carry ivory. Hence it was the norm in the Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus) males to have tusks. Then the question arises what happened to Sri Lanka? Why is there less than 7% of the male population having this genetic trait? There are several theories being debated among scientists and pundits alike.

The most logical explanation for this is that through thousands of years, starting from our kings of old, the best tuskers the prime bulls of any herd were targeted for domestication, and even to import. Ancient texts state that Sri Lanka “exported” elephants to other countries, due to the fact that Sri Lankan elephants were prized for their size and strength. Thereafter the three colonizers, the Portuguese, Dutch, and finally the English managed to systematically target and decimate the existing population. The first targets of any hunt were the tuskers, the prime breeding bulls of elephant society.

Within a few hundred years, we are left with a dwindling populace of these once mighty specimens. Estimates can round up the current population of wild tuskers at around 120-180 animals at most. That being said this number is being reduced every year.

Though poaching is an imminent threat and many tuskers did fall to the guns of the poacher, the primary culprit for the decimation of tuskers and elephants, in general, is habitat loss and the human-elephant conflict that results from this.

There is an estimated 6000 plus elephants on the island as per the last census carried out in 2011. Sri Lanka also is shamed to have the largest number of elephant deaths for 2020, with a staggering 318, and a shocking 407 in 2019. This would easily outnumber the number of new elephant births, and also the death toll needs to add the numbers which are not recorded, and hence we have a scenario where the overall populace is facing a gradual reduction. The lack of viable habitats for these giants and the current lack of a credible wildlife management policy will result in mass starvations and a sudden plummet in numbers in the coming years.

There are plans and talks underway to “conveniently” drive all the elephants outside national parks to the said parks, be it Wilpattu or Udawalawe or sanctuaries like Kahallapallekele and lock the elephants up so they can escape. This naïve and impractical move has been discussed by many of those in power for countless regimes without a proper understanding of the elephant's actual requirements and needs.

1-      Each land area has an ideal carrying capacity for elephants. The common misconception most laymen (who are virtually most of the policymakers and whose in power) is that there are many trees in the forest hence why can't they eat the trees. The reality is that elephants require a vast range of disturbed forest and grazing land. This is the only way it can sustain a 3-5 Ton animal. Elephants eat up to 150 KG of vegetation daily, and densely forested areas cannot provide enough nutrients, especially for a sudden surge of more elephants pushed there with an elephant drive. The classic case of such a disaster was in Lunugamvehera in 2006. The Department of Wildlife Conservation drove around 260 elephants into the Lunugamvehera National Park. The tragic result is that most of them, mainly the females and calves died of starvation. Thus we are about to face such a disastrous move very soon as per the current directive it seems the policymakers are about to drive a mass extinction of elephant using the “Elephant Drive” ploy.

2-      Vital migration paths such as the Dahaiyagala Sanctuary have been cleared and given to people for agriculture. The current state of the elephants in Udawalawe , which is a vital Tourism attraction is that they are unable or hindered to move out of the park to their traditional regions such as Bogahapattiya due to this. Further adding to their suffering the growth of an invasive plant known as Lantana or Gandhapana in Sinhalese (which the elephant doesn’t eat) have resulted in emaciated and malnourished elephants in the park. With quite a few deaths of newborn calves. Udawalawe generates much-needed revenue and employment to many people in the region and yet there seems to be no interest by the powers that be to look into this situation.

3-      One of the regions with the highest density of tuskers in Sri Lanka is the Galgamuwa region. Despite being home to over 350 elephants, there are no large national parks or sanctuaries nearby. For many years the elephants survived by moving from small forest patch to forest patch , and continuously being harassed and in conflict with local villagers and their cultivations. Many notable tuskers emerged from this region, out of which two exceptional individuals the SIyambalangamuwa Tusker also known as Parakrama died due to a failed attempt to translocate him and the other is the Dala Puttuwa or Crossed Tusker who fell to the poacher's bullet. Both their lives ended tragically, and many surviving tuskers carry the scars of their turbulent lives in festering gunshot wounds all across their body.

The latest debacle faced by the elephants of Galgamuwa is the clearing of forest land in Nakolagane bordering the Palukadawala Reservoir. This is the last refuge remaining for these 350 plus elephants in this entire region. Mostly spending several months in the forest and coming to the lakeshore to graze and drink water. The Chief priest of Nakolagane Rajamaha Viharaya is carrying out a project destroying the forest using bulldozers and using this forest land to grow traditional rice varieties.

This disastrous move will not only deny the elephants a place of refuge but will also increase the conflicts will the villagers as the elephants will invariably move into human cultivations and homes as their habitat is destroyed.

It is shameful that despite the teachings of Buddhism preaches kindness and care to all life forms that those who claim to be representatives of the faith are destroying the very fundamentals of the said philosophy.

If the citizens of Sri Lanka from villagers to urban folk don’t band together and demand a workable solution to this eternal conflict and destruction of forest habitat, this massive Ecocide will have ripple effects that will affect this island nation for generations to come.