Few weeks ago I went to Galgamuwa in search of its resident tusker. We stumbled upon him, but in our haste, didn’t get the encounter we wanted, as the giant bull retreated into the forest. Therefore, determined to find him again, I set off to Galgamuwa once again. I was joined by my friends Romesh, Nandika and Dilan. We departed ...
It was September 2012, as on our last day in Wilpattu National Park. This was the same trip where we had the narrow shave with the wildboar and the leopard in the sands . We were driving up along the main road towards Ibbanwala whe we found a young leopard walking towards us along the road. Senevi our driver has ...
Below is a collection of tuskers which I have encountered over the years of my travels.Yala National Park Namal- Photographed in 2009 Gemunu in an unusual pose photographed in 2010 before he became a public menace Close up of Gemunu Family drinking water with young tusker Thilak- The largest tusker in Yala Thilak- The largest tusker in Yala Thilak- The ...
Sri Lanka's bird life aka "avi fauna" have been studied and observed for many years. It was thought that every species was recognized and identified by that time. But there was yet an undiscovered species of owl lurking in the shadows of our rainforests. Finally observed, identified and studied it was finally recognized as a new species in 2004 and ...
I have been wanting to visit Mannar during the dry season even since we went there in December during the rains. Despite all the rainy and cloudy weather we had some great sightings of Flamingoes and crab plovers. The light was terrible and hence the photographs were not that great. I was determined to get some great pictures this time ...
The Wisent, or European Bison. Very little is known about this enigmatic mega herbivore. Many Sri Lankans wouldn't even know there was bison in Europe. But this is the largest land animal in Europe and has been roaming the dark forests of the continent for millennia. This is proven with the many cave paintings by our ancient ancestors depicting hunting ...
As most already know, my favorite animal is the tusker, and throughout history, the tuskers of Yala National Park have been favorites of photographers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. In the recent years the most impressive tusker of note is named "Thilak". An ancient bull who can be estimated to be 60 years or older. The first time I encountered him ...
I have been travelling to Galgamuwa on an almost weekly basis in the last month, with one single objective, to find and photograph a giant tusker who has been seen on occasion in the Galgamuwa area.The background to this story begins last year, when I was shown a video of an exceptionally large and tall tusker with a herd of ...
I had not made any plans this weekend, but a phone call with my good friend Riaz on a Thursday morning convinced me to join him on a quick weekend trip to Yala. This was also a good chance for me to look for options of accommodation which I hope to use for some future projects I am trying ...
I have been spending the last few weeks in Colombo. But this doesn't mean that I don't stop my passion for wildlife and photography. Most weekend mornings are spent at Thalangama Tank. This man made lake is a haven for countless birds. I was very keen to photograph the occasional Black and Cinnamon Bitterns found there as well as the ...
My marine mammal season isn’t over yet. I set off for Mirissa to try my luck again in finding some sperm whales. There had been around 100 of these whales yesterday, and I was anxious to go into the water to find them. I was joined by my friends Erich, Pathum, Omega and Ranil who is a marine biologist. As ...
This weekend was one of the most eventful safari’s I have done by far. For years on end I have been desperately trying to capture a good photograph of a sloth bear, but have been failing miserably at it. The last two sightings were at Yala and Wilpattu and were taken at such low light that I cannot even publish ...
The open ocean is a new frontier for most of us. Despite two trips to Mirissa, this is still a new experience for me. During this weekend on 10th of November 2012, I decided to try a new location in Kalpitiya. This place is now famous for its dolphins, but in reality it is much more than that.This natural treasure ...
This was a trip which was more than a year in the making. Ever since my amazing trip to Horton in 2013 with Riaz I wanted to do a bungalow booking in the park and stay over and see if I can have luck in photographing many of the amazing wildlife found there. With this plan in mind I discussed ...
There are few things which can be considered truly mind bogglingly hard to find. The rarity make the aura of its/their existence almost mythical. Given this context, the knowlege of a very rare recessive gene in a particular troop of endemic species of monkeys found only in Sri Lanka is music to my ears. the particular recessive gene in mention ...
Bundala was one of the first National Parks I visited as a small child. My parents and few other family friends headed to Bundala, on a trip in October 1991, back before anyone had heard of the place. We booked the Lanka Salt Bungalow which was a very basic place bordering the park. I was only five years old at ...
For months, I have been contemplating what to get my mom for her birthday which is on the 24th of December. The ideas ranged from expensive dinners at fine dining restaurants to sari's to jewelry and it went on and on. Finally after going through all options I wanted to check on some hotel deals because I know she loves ...
One of the best and most memorable leopard sightings in my life would be with Eye One of Wilpattu.Known by this name due to the blue haze on its right eye, this female leopard was first sighted with her brother in 2010, this unique characteristic makes her easy to identify. The cause of this unique feature could be a cataract ...
It’s the 4th of February, and we are celebrating Sri Lanka’s independence from British Rule. Being a public holiday, I decided to make the most of the holiday and try and do something productive. I called up my friend Pathum, and discussed where we could go. Finally settling on Kitulgala, as it is close to home and only two hours’ ...
