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28th March 2021 at 5.45pm another leopard on the road between Paaluwilandawa junction and Percy Bendi Wewa. N 08.34908, E 080.11762
It was also a female leopard and was lying across the road. As I stopped the vehicle she stood up and started to walk in my direction. I was not able to reverse to give way for the advancing leopard as there were other vehicles parked behind me. Having walked almost up to the vehicle she moved into the forest. Having examined the spot pattern I realized that this is Thammanna Wala Female 2 (THWF 2) on my site.
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17th October 2020 at 2.26pm one Leopard between Percy Bendi Wewa and Thammanna Wala.
N 08.34758, E 080.11799
It was a female Leopard and was was walking away from us. We kept a distance of about 50 meters and followed. After some time with the arrival of another vehicle she walked in to the forest but lied down under a fallen tree sniffing and scent marking the same. Later upon examination of the spot pattern I was pleased to note that it is Thammanna Wala Female 2 (THWF 2). (with Safari jeep driver Hemantha Wimalasena)
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24th September 2020 at 8.43am one Leopard at Percy Bendi Wewa. N 08.33413, E 080.12934
It was an adult female leopard. She was lying on a bent Palu Tree by the side of the road. The leopard was quite tolerant of the safari vehicles but was disturbed by the DWC water bowser that arrived around 9am. As the bowser drew near she climbed down the tree and moved in to the forest much t the displeasure of the. As she walked I noticed that the animal was limping. She appears to have injured her front left leg. Upon examining the spot patterns I noted that this is Thammanna Wala Femlae 2 (THWF 2), the famed mother of the tree cubs seen around Thammanna Wala and down Mahah Wewa road. (with Guide Sampath Ananda)
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22nd August 2020 at 6.15pm one Leopard at Percy Bendi Wewa. N 08.33393, E 080.12952
The female leopard walked in the direction of Percy Bendi Wewa. She was not disturbed by the few vehicles that kept their distance. She would stop to mark and sniff the bushes exhibiting typical leopard behavior. Unfortunately, as she walked down to water more safari jeeps arrived, and some moved too close. The leopard moved across the bund into the jungle. Later upon examining her spot pattern I noted that this is Thammanna Wala Female 2 (THWF 2). (Bathiya Senadhipathy and guide Tissa Ratnayake)
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20th September 2015 at 5.55am at Thammanna Wala. N 08.35345 E 080.11741
Having arrived at Thammanna Wala I spotted the leopard close to the “Ring Pond”. It moved towards the left and was not visible. I drove on to the Maha Wewa road and found it drinking water. It was not disturbed by the vehicle and continued to drink. After about 5 minutes the leopard stood up, turned towards the road and looked up at me. I reversed the vehicle as I expected it needed to cross the road. The leopard slowly crossed the road and disappeared in to the forest. The sighting lasted for about 6 minutes.
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28th August 2015 at 6.31am THWF 2 at Thammanna Wala. N 08.35350, E 080.11744
As we arrived at the water hole the leopard was spotted walking down the bund to the edge of the water. It walked along the edge to the concrete “ring pond” built by the park office. I was surprised that the leopard preferred to drink from this “ring pond” despite the natural water hole having plenty of water. As it lowered its head to drink the frogs in the pond jumped out making the leopard jump back. On a few occasions there after the leopard would lower its head cautiously in to the pond and jump back as the frogs jumped out. It was quite funny to watch this encounter. This disturbance, however, did not deter the leopard as she persisted until she had driven all the frogs in the pond to the nearby water hole and started to drink.
There after she continued to sit close to the pond in full view for almost 20 minutes. However with the escalation of safari jeeps, filled with tourists yelling out that there is a leopard, she moved in to the shade of the nearby forest. After some time I drove down Maha Wewa road that runs bordering this water hole and spotted the leopard lying down under a tree about 100 meters from the water hole. Few minutes later a troop of Grey Langurs spotted her and started to make frantic alarm calls. The leopard responded by moving further in to the forest and out of sight.
Later having checked the spot and rosette marking I realized that this is THWF 2 that I photographed yesterday. (with guide Sanath)
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27th August 2015 at 1.16pm between Thammanna Wala and Percy Bendi Wewa. N 08.34925, E 080.11758
I was told of a leopard sighting in the morning at this locality by guide Sanath at Kumbuk Wila. It was lying down on an earth mound partly covered by bushes and was facing the forest. After some time the leopard stood up stretched and lied down again. It was a sub adult female leopard and I estimated its age to be around 2 years. I observed it till 3.30pm. Except for an occasional yarn it continued to sleep. I left, as our plan was to reach Gange Wadiya by 5.30pm to look for a Tusker. Having examined its spot and rosette pattern I realized that this is a leopard that I had not photographed. I named it Thammanna Wala Female 2 (THWF 2). ( With guide Hafis)
