The leopard’s activity pattern is heavily influenced by the dominating presence of the tiger. In a habitat or locality where tigers do well, leopard are fewer. Yala National Park in Sri Lanka has a reputation for having the highest density of Leopards in Asia. Perhaps this is because there are no tigers in Sri Lanka…?
Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to see leopards, here (as opposed to India and Nepal), the leopard is the king of the jungle. If you manage to get to see a leopard on a wildlife safari in Sri Lanka, its swagger and confidence confirms its rule. The cats are very adaptable creatures, and are found in a wide range of habitats. The scrub jungles and the dry lowlands of Sri Lanka are an example of how adjustable leopards can be.
Leopards are generally more tolerant to sun than tigers as their body mass is that much less, and they can therefore be found in areas with a lower density of trees and are thus more visible. They can thrive both in the rainforests in the wet lowlands of the southern part of Sri Lanka and also the cloud forest in the highlands.
TfT Travel offers you the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the large nimble cats in both Nepal and Sri Lanka. The larger densities of leopards really depend on two factors, limited predators and a large food base. The population of spotted deer and sambhur deer is always a good reference to the number of leopards in the area. We look to bring you into the land of the leopard, both in the lowlands of Nepal and on the island of Sri Lanka. Their preferred habitats can be extremely interesting, usually with a plentiful water supply which in turn brings with it some great bird life, amphibians and reptiles that will add to this elusive wholesome wildlife journey.
Upon arriving in Colombo you will be met by a representative and transferred north to the most beautiful of all of Sri Lanka’s national park Wilpattu. Wilpattu National Park – is 508 square miles (131.694 hectares) in extent and was declared as a National Park in 1938.
The coming two nights you will be spending at the Leopard Trails, En Suite Tent on a full board basis.
Leopards are perhaps the most elusive and hard to spot wild cats on the planet. As Sri Lanka has the highest density of them, this is an excellent opportunity to spot these magnificent creatures. Embark on an exciting 4×4 jeep safari in search of leopards! (Tip: Ask TfT Travel before you land to arrange night vision goggles to take with you to Wilpattu, this will give you a great opportunity to see some of the fauna in the buffer zone come dusk.)
Today you will be heading back down to the capital of Sri Lanka. You will have a chance to head out into the city to do some sightseeing of the capital. See the remains of the Portuguese, Dutch and British rule. You will be staying overnight at the Uga Residence, Park Suite on a B/B basis.
Kamuna National Park is 70 square miles (18,149 hectares) in extent and was declared national park in 1970. There are several marshes and lakes where large number of aquatic birds build their nests and visitors can see them at close range during the breeding season. The approach is from the Pottuvil side and it is also possible to visit Kumana from Yala (Ruhuna) Park through Block II, which is now opened to the public. The common birds found here are Spot-billed Pelicans, Cormorants, Egrets, Spoonbills, Herons, Storks, Ibises, Bitterns, Indian Moor Hens, White-breasted Waterhen, Painted Storks and many other species.
The coming two nights you will be staying at the Mahoora Explorer Tent on a full board basis.
Enjoy the whole day game ride at Kumana.
The Asian Openbill, Glossy Ibis, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Spot-billed Pelican, Indian Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Common Moorhen, Watercock, Purple Swamphen, White-breasted Waterhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Black-winged Stilt, Lesser Whistling Duck and Little Grebe migrate here in large flocks which the Pintail fly 9,000 kilometres from far away Siberia. Rare migrants include Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Malabar Trogon, Red-faced Malkoha, and Sirkeer Malkoha. (Tip: Bring a decent zoom lens for photographing the huge variety of bird species).
Back to Colombo for one final evening in the city before flying off onto your home destination.This last night you will be staying at the Uga Residence, Park Suite on a full board basis.
International departure journey and on.
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