The sloth bear, is an often misunderstood animal. Despite being sighted in both Yala and Wilpattu National Parks in the recent times very little study has been carried out its behavior. The jungle folk would recall the bear as one of the most dangerous animals to encounter while on foot. Many Veddas and villagers near the jungles have horrific scars ...
I am sitting in wait in a tropical rainforest, hoping to find a jewel, a tiny ball of color known as the oriental dwarf kingfisher a.k.a the three toed kingfisher. This is a small, red and yellow kingfisher, averaging 13 cm (5.1 in) in length, yellow under parts with glowing bluish-black upper parts. This is a widespread resident of lowland ...
The good old land monitor (Varanus bengalensis) or “thalagoya” is an animal treated with much indifference. Most suburban households in Sri Lanka have these critters walking about their garden or sunbathing on their roofs. I find these resilient lizards very interesting as not only do they do us a service by eating the rats and snakes in our area, but ...
The famous leopard cubs of Rukwila in Yala National Park created a nationwide stir for two years and captured the hearts of thousands who came to the park to see them. These bold and fearless cubs were seen out in the open with no fear of man. Many visitors have captured these graceful cats in their element, tussling and playing ...
After months of preperation, the big day finally came on the 26th of October 2013, the opening of my first ever photographic exhibition. Titled "Wildlife Diaries" like my blog, this was a dream come true for me. Years in the making, I finally was coming out into the world and showcasing my best works in photography.The event was possible thanks ...
Dear Readers, I apologize for the sudden removal of my posts. There have been some issues with regards to conservation which I needed to address and for which I needed to take some drastic action. I will attempt not to disclose some sensitive locations in future as it seems to bring some unwanted finger pointing which is unwarranted in my ...
I will never forget the first meeting of the Wildlife Society which I attended in 1997. I was the youngest member, and all the other boys were seniors in their late teens. This did not hold me back and I signed up for the first trip of the year, which was a 5 day camping excursion to Udawalawe. The cost ...
Hi Everyone, I am very sorry for not posting anything new lately. Unfortunately I have been very busy with my final assignments of my MBA. I am set to finish everything in March and since my trip to Mannar in the beginning of February I was stuck at home. Even at office I was very busy and thus have not ...
On the 17th of April , myself and a group I organized through Classic Travel, departed on a memorable wildlife adventure to the heart of India , in the hopes of coming face to face with the most majestic cat in the world, the Royal Bengal Tiger. We met up early morning at Classic Travel Head Quarters and left together ...
It was my first trip to Willey for 2013. Lately I have been pre occupied with the ocean and was not able to visit my favorite national park. I decided enough is enough and made plans to do a weekend trip over there, where we would do a full day safari in Wilpattu and head for a last ditch round ...
A few more pictures from Kalawewa, a little known paradise in threat of destruction due to mans greed.Young Tusker Eating a Polythene BagSiblings at playThe herd quenching their thirst during the drought"Dont leave me behind""To fly among giants"- Juvenile white bellied sea eagle"Out of my way !"
Having a particular interest in endemic birds which are found only in Sri Lanka, I was particularly interested in photographing the elusive and rare Sri Lanka Spur Fowl. This shy bird has hardly been photographed and when I heard of a sighting I was determined to find them. A member of the pheasant family this bird is endemic to the ...
Seeing a leopard in the wild is a rare occurrence, and getting a really good quality sighting is even rarer. Getting the best sighting involves some work from your part as well. Patience being the main virtue, one need to be adapt in the waiting game. The chances of getting lucky are 50/50, but when you do get sightings it ...
Once again after two weeks of waiting, I once again got the urge to go to sea. Plan was to go to Kalpitiya on Saturday, stay overnight and does the boat ride the next day with my boatmen Mervyn. I was joined by my friends Rajeev Gana, Radika, Erandhi and Dhanushka. We booked a bungalow named Calpentyne which is located ...
The highlands of Sri Lanka hold a special mystery. The cold sweeping cloud forests envelop an ancient land which is a stark contrast to the dry zone scrub jungles of the lowlands. Long ago the entire hills of the region were covered in jungle, where vast arrays of wildlife including elephant and bear roamed. The British colonials cleared most of ...
Sorry that I didnt update the blog for some time. Was busy working on my book titled "Children of Eden" which will feature my best works of photography as well as stories of my adventures and experiences in the wilds. The design was completed last week thanks to long hours and hard work from my friend Niroshan Mirando who worked ...
Video taken at Alem Villu at Wilpattu. Young leopard feeding on a decayed deer carcass.We were a few feet from the feline, and the carcass stench was unbearable. The leopard paid no heed to the long line of jeeps thronging in succession in an attempt to get a clear view. After a few memory cards full of photographed I switched to video mode on my 7D to capture this rare moment in HD.
It’s been a few months since my last blog post. Not that I haven't been travelling but I have been quite busy with work as well as my travels and I didn't get to really take time and sit down to write something. Also I didn't have anything really interesting to write about until last weekend. Myself and my friend ...
Wading across deep mud among the mangroves of Vankalai, I was searching for the perfect place to settle down for the sunrise. Reaching the water’s edge I found the ideal spot among the bushes and mangroves where I could lay still without being seen for hours on end. Content with my chosen hide I had to lie still in expectation ...
It was a boring Poya holiday on the 27th of November. I was having a bad hangover from a late night out on Monday. I was contemplating what to do when I got a call from Erich and Niroshan. They suggested Muthurajawela, a place we have never been before. Things were set in motion and one hour later I was ...
