Tharindi Eratne's Contributions

Observation:

Observation Note: Both leopards were on a tree branch. When vehicles began approaching, the female jumped down from the tree and walked into the forest. The male remained on the tree for a short while before climbing down and following the female’s scent. The female appeared to be in oestrus and repeatedly approached the male, but he did not seem interested in mating. He was relaxing. This behavior occurred several times. After some time, the female walked away, and the male appeared to follow her, though mating was not observed.

Observation:

The leopard was observed walking along the road from Kumana Wewa toward Kumana Villu. We maintained a safe distance while following it. The leopard did not appear disturbed by our presence and continued to move confidently along the road. It was seen marking its territory, occasionally looking toward us, and at times sitting on the road. Eventually, the leopard moved off the road and disappeared into the forest on the left side.

Observation:

The leopard was observed on the road near Divulpallama Pitiya, approaching from the Bagura side. It was walking from Bagura toward Divulpallama and did not appear to be disturbed by the presence of vehicles. However, after a loud noise made by one vehicle, the leopard became startled and moved into the nearby forest closer to Divulpallama Pitiya.

Observation:

KLM38 was observed mating with KLF 21. Within a one-hour period, mating was observed approximately three times. The activity was then disturbed when a group of wild buffaloes approached and attempted to attack KLM 38. After the buffaloes moved away, mating was observed once more, after which KLF 21 retreated into the forest. We left the area and returned after a 2.5hrs, at which time both leopards were seen together again. However, when another vehicle approached, KLF 21 again moved into the forest. KLF 21 appeared to be sensitive to vehicle presence. Even during our initial approach, KLF 21 retreated into the forest and reappeared after a few minutes. In contrast, KLM 38 showed no signs of disturbance throughout the observation.

Observation:

The leopard was casually seated on the ground. Upon noticing an approaching vehicle, it immediately retreated into the forest.

Observation:

The leopard was seated on a branch of a Kohomba tree, observing the surroundings. A few jackals and deer were present on the open ground in front of the tree.

Observation:

The leopard emerged from the adjacent forested area and approached the tree, subsequently climbing onto a lower branch. It remained stationary for a period, scanning and observing the surrounding environment. After some time, the animal moved to a higher branch within the same tree. A visible wound was noted near the right eye.

Observation:

The leopard was seen lying on a rock and showed no signs of disturbance. After some time, it moved to a higher rock within the same rock area.

Observation:

The leopard was sleeping under a tree. Despite the presence of several vehicles nearby, it showed no signs of disturbance and remained calm. He was there for few hours.