Locations of sightings
Ranawara Pitiya, Percy Bendi Wewa
First Sighting
30th January 2016 at 8.43am
15th October 2016 at 5.34pm 1 Leopard at Percy Bendi Wewa. N 8 20.006 E 80 07.809
A safari jeep driver (Susantha) informed me in the morning that he had observed two leopards drinking at Percy Bendi Wewa around 5.30pm the day before. As this part of the park had not received any rain so far I decided to arrive at this location expecting the leopards to show up for their evening drink. After some time I was thrilled to observe one leopard across the water body. It was extremely shy and approached the water with its belly close to the ground in a stalking manner. Later having perused the images I was able to determine that this is Ranawara Pitiya Male 1 (RPMC 1). (with guide Dinesh Kumara)
31st July 2016 at 4.44pm, Ranawara Pitiya Male 1 (RPMC 1) about 100 meters beyond the Ranawara Pitiya culvert. N 08.32726, E 080.13675
When we arrived at Ranawara Pitiya I spotted the leopard by the side of the road beyond the culvert. It was behind a tree and was stalking a male Indian Peafowl on the main road. Upon our approach the young leopard moved in to the forest. I drove about 100 meters passing the point where the leopard entered the forest and parked. After some time the leopard emerged from the forest and started stalking the Indian Peafowl again. After some time the adult male Indian Peafowl detected the Leopard. Having made a few alarm calls the bird started to move closer and closer to the leopard until it was almost few feet from the young cat that was crouching in the ditch. Perhaps as it had been detected the inexperienced leopard (This leopard is approximately one year old) was not able to make up its mind to attack the bird but concealed it self even further as the bird moved closer. (with guide Tissa Ratnayake)
19th February 2016 at 6.27pm 2 leopard cubs, Ranawara Pitiya Male 1 (RPMC 1) and Ranawara Pitiya Male 2 ( RPMC 2) at Percy Bendi Wewa. N 08.33282, E 080.13078
As I approached the end of the bund one leopard was seen on the middle of the road in a stalking position. In a few seconds we spotted the second cub by the side of the road. Later upon examination of the photos I learnt that the leopard on the road was RPMC 2 and the other was RPMC 1. (with guide Sanath)
30th January 2016 at 8.43am two leopard cubs at Ranawara Pitiya. N 08.32856, E 080.13555
They were two male cubs and I estimated their age to be around 6 to 7 months. One of them moved out in pursuit of a Jerdon’s Bush Lark to the open in a short while after the engines were turned off. The other concealed it self behind the foliage. They both displayed typical playful behavior of leopards of this age in biting the branches and the twigs of the bushes close to them. Having heard of these two cubs during my previous visits and not having any luck in seeing them, I was thrilled to have finally seen and photographed them. I named them Ranawara Pitiya Male 1 (RPMC 1) and Ranawara Pitiya Male 2 (RPMC 2).
9.54am with the heat of the rising sun the male also moved in to the forest. (with guide Tissara Madushanka)
