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10th September 2023 at 1.28pm one leopard on Maradanmaduwa Maha Wewa road close to the water hole. N 08.38462, E 080.09327
upon receiving information of a leopard on a tree close to the water hole on the Mahah Wewa road I decided to drive down. There were few jeeps that had gathered at the location, and I was told that the leopard climbed down the tree and moved into the forest seconds before my arrival. I drove up a little as I expected the leopard to move across the road. A jeep ahead of me flashed its headlights which is signal to stop as a leopard is moving to the road. I angled the vehicle and stopped. In less than a minute I observed the leopard moving through the jungle towards the road and managed to a get a few images as the cat moved swiftly across the road. It was Maradanmaduwa Female 2 (MMFC 2) that I observed and photographed in the morning about on this road about one kilometer from this location.
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10th September 2023 at 8.13am one adult female leopard on Maradanmaduwa Maha Wewa road. N 08.39417, E 080.09879
It was an adult female, and she was walking in the direction of Maradanmaduwa. She was not disturbed by the vehicle and continued her walk for about 50 meters before walking into the forest. I notice that she had an injury on her left leg. But the injury did not seem to have hampered her too much as was walking quite well. Later, upon examination of her spot pattern I noted that this is Maradanmaduwa Female 2 (MMFC 2) who had been seen on this road with her first litter of two cubs. She is popularly referred to as “wisipaha” (twenty-five) by the jeep drivers due to the spot pattern on her forehead resembling the figure twenty-five. My last sighting of this female was on the 4th of February 2018 more than 5 years ago.
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4th February 2018 at 4.10pm one Leopard between Maradanmaduwa and the first culvert on Maha Wewa road. N 08.37959, E 080.08483
Upon examination of its spot pattern I recognized it as the Maradanmaduwa Leopard 3 listed under Leopards of Wilpattu – Guest section. This is my first sighting of this female cub. She is now around one year and is usually seen with her sister and mother, Maradanmaduwa Female 1 (MMFC 1). Her first litter was two male cubs and this is her second. The leopard was sleeping on a high up branch of a Kumbuk Tree. I named it Maradanmaduwa Female 2 (MMFC 2) (with guide Tissa Ratnayake)
