Leopard

The Leopard is the largest cat in Sri Lanka fearlessly prowls the jungle in the daytime as it is the top predator in the island. They love to bask in the early morning and late evening hours. Leopards often use rocks as a vantage point to relax and scan the surrounding. They get in to the rocks in the early morning and the late evening hours once the rocks are cold enough to relax.

It prefers to rest on the shady trees and under the shade in the daytime and hunt in the dusk and dawn. Leopards found in almost all the major habitat types in Sri Lanka from coastal scrub jungles to the thick high altitude cloud forests as it is an extremely adaptable predator. Major pray item of this species are mostly mammals and occasionally ground nesting birds. This charismatic predator is threatened due to habitat loss and poaching. Grasslands with short grass along the edge of the forest are the domain of the leopard. Dry zone national parks such as Yala, Wilpattu and Kumana National Parks are very popular places to observe this attractive and ferocious

  • Scientific name – Panthera pardus kotiya
  • Solitary by nature an ambush predator
  • Can reach a top speed of around 50 km/h
  • A female can will give birth to 2 to 3 cubs
  • Leopards are master climber and are very active at night

Leopard Spotting Destinations