RAMSAR Wetlands of Sri Lanka

In the whole world, only 34 places have the richest variety of life on earth. Biodiversity hot spots.
Wild places that cover just 2.3% of the Earth's surface. Home to 75% of the planet's most threatened mammals, birds and amphibians. And Sri Lanka is one of them. Home to 6 RAMSAR Wetlands and hundreds of threatened species. An island so wild, free and inspiring.

The 6 Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance in Sri Lanka

1. Annaiwilundawa Tanks Sanctuary
2. Bundala Flora & Fauna Sanctuary
3. Kumana National Park Wetland Cluster 
4. Maduganga Mangrove Lagoon
5. Vankalai Sanctuary
6. Wilpattu National Park Wetland Cluster

The signature 'Birding Safari' by Ayu in the Wild visits four of the six Sites*.

The Convention on Wetlands came into force for Sri Lanka on 15 October 1990. Sri Lanka presently has 6 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance, with a surface area of 198,172 hectares. (All information: www.ramsar.org) (Images: www.ayuinthewild.com) For details of each RAMSAR Site..

All things wild...

The 'Peacock Blue' -  one of my favourite colours!

Being out on the road, trekking, finding off beat paths and training our Guides haven't left us with much time to keep the blog up todate. We've also been busy setting up some videos of our travels which can be viewed on the +Ayu in the Wild Safaris, Sri Lanka YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRNg5tiCz1uzHg5yyrWhRSQ/about
.

THE GATHERING
The season for 'the Gathering' is now well underway and we've done a clip to celebrate the migration of these wonderful mammals from across the drought stricken North Central Province, to the beautiful Minneriya Tank.  Take a look at the clip to see the wonderful experiential safari offered by +Ayu in the Wild Safaris, Sri Lanka where you learn about the behaviour of these mammals, their migratory routes and even trek along hidden elephant corridors.

SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT Ayu in the Wild
Thank you to +Safarious for selecting us as 'One of the Members Worth Checking Out' https://www.safarious.com/en.  Sometimes, you wonder why you spend so much time writing updates, finding that one perfect title and image...I guess, its worth it when you're appreciated and recognized - thank you Safarious!

Green Bea-eater - Yala

Life as a Jungle-farmer

The real Sri Lanka through the eyes of the locals.

Ask anyone who has been on safari with us and they wouldn't deny that community interactions are part of the best memories they have of their safari with Ayu in the Wild.  http://ayuinthewild.com/p7.php

A jungle-farmer's life is tough! Waking up before dawn to collect water, set out to work on the field before the sun becomes unbearably hot and as the day ends, gather firewood before heading home.

Most often, 'Paddy-farmers' (who grow rice)  close to wild Elephant corridors need to stay awake on all-night vigils. Sitting in a tiny watch hut, vulnerable, in the middle of his field or maybe high up on a tree with just a faint light for company. Despite electric fences that are meant to be a deterrent, Elephants still break through, keeping logs on the fence and stepping over! At night, intermittently, each farmer yells out to the other in the next field - a simple tracking mechanism to ensure no one has fallen asleep or come to any harm.

On safari a few weeks ago, we spent some incredible moments with a jungle-farmer and his family experiencing how to cook-like-the-locals-in-the-wild.

We picked vegetables off his plot and helped cook five curries on an open fire of three bricks. Ever tasted prawns grilled on a banana leaf over a wood-fired bbq of sorts? 

After a long safari ride we visited them again as night approached - just to chat about their day and ours. They had even lit a campfire! The jungle-farmers' life is one of incredibly hard work. Yet, they can be the most hospitable people you will ever meet. Talk to them and they never fail to smile!

As the night became cooler from the breeze wafting through the vast lake in front of their tiny clay, wattle and daub hut, our day out on safari came to a perfect end.

If you would like to travel on an experiential wildlife safari contact us on info@ayuinthewild.com

For +It's a Wild, Wild World +Beautiful planet Earth +Amazing Places to See +Explorations 

A Leopard NEVER loses sight of his next meal!

A lesson in concentration.

It was thrilling to see the stealth and skill of a Sri Lankan Leopard, not really stalking but  more, 'eyeing' its prey. Albeit a rather big one. The short undergrowth and the fallen tree a perfect point to sit and observe.

A quick survey of its surroundings, just to get his bearings and possibly to check for any threats. Obviously this one didn't mind a bit of a fight, judging by the battle scar on his stomach.

Always on the lookout...and always settling in nicely at a vantage point.

Maybe this wasn't the perfect vantage point after all.

He moved away quickly, stealthily to a different log. A different vista. An open grassy plain with a fairly large tank of water. An even more comfortable log than the previous one and under the shade of a large 'maliththan' tree. A far better view.

 And more importantly, that's where the Buffalo was heading to.

Relaxed and prepared to wait. But never losing sight of possibly his next meal!

Quite frankly I don't think it was hungry enough to take on the wild Buffalo and his stomach did look quite full. Leopards generally prefer smaller and more manageable prey species like Wild Boar, Deer, Sambur, Grey Languar .......but you never know. This Leopard never took his eyes away from the frighteningly large Buffalo. Not even when we drove away.

The next day, we headed out once more on safari, hoping to see a Leopard kill, a carcass, but no luck. As we drove around the sun hid behind a few clouds. Not great lighting for photography we thought. And then suddenly, we heard a Grey Languar calling out in alarm. High up on a tree was our friend, with the battle scar on his stomach, still looking, still searching.

Our safaris are not just about what wildlife you see.
It's about how you see life in the wild.

If you're into +NATURE  wildlife in a +Monochrome World  or are a part of the +Wildlife Worldwide  +It's a Wild, Wild World +UK Photography Community +CATS all over the World +HQSP Animals   and especially into +Amazing Places to See then do join us in #srilanka