Give Leopards their territory!

Planning on a big cat safari in Sri Lanka? Here's what you need to be mindful of...

The wilds of the Sri Lankan jungles, belong to the wildlife

Untrained safari drivers in Sri Lanka are known to overcrowd an animals territory

The Sri Lanka Leopard (Panthera Pardus Kotiya) is the largest carnivore in the island and the top most predator with no competition from other predators such as tigers or lions. (Although reference to Lions in Sri Lanka's history, the flag, stories of legend & folklore point to their likely existence thousands of years ago). As a result, the Sri Lankan Leopard is  much bolder than in other habitats across Asia or Africa. Spending more time on open roads and jeep tracks, on the ground, stalking without much cover and in daylight.

Think before you book your safari holiday in Sri Lanka....

• Book your safari through respected agents that offer professional Guides & jeep drivers - not only will you enjoy learning about the wildlife in Sri Lanka but your Guide will ensure the territory of an animal is respected.
• Ask for experienced Trackers. Be aware that Trackers allocated to your jeep from the Wildlife Department may not be the most trained and knowledgeable Guides - you may need to remind them of Park Rules - especially of not speeding towards an animal sighting.
• Don't get too close! Be aware that Jeep drivers who tout for work are not trained to respect wildlife and more often than not, will overcrowd an animal - please give wildlife their space and zoom in for the best images.
• Ask for a 4WD safari vehicle. Although the traditional Land Rover jeeps with seating to the sides may not look as comfortable as the newer jeeps with raised seating - they are much safer to travel in and more often than not driven by experienced safari drivers who know the terrain well. The old fashioned Land Rover jeeps can also handle rougher terrain than the new jeeps so you get to explore the more unexplored habitats.

Sri Lankan Leopard has adapted well to different habitats

The Sri Lankan cat has adapted well to different habitats - from the riverine ecosystems in Wilpattu National Park to the more scrub jungles and open plains of Yala and Kumana National Parks. With many small lakes making up their 'home-range' the Sri Lankan Leopard roams freely around the perimeters of each lake to feed on the resident animals of deer, sambhur, wildboar, grey langurs and the occasional buffalo calf. This 'roaming' from one lake to another also provides great opportunities for safari-goers to get their one-great-big-cat photo! 

Be a responsible wildlife tourist  - zoom in from a distance to get that top shot..

Do remember, that the wilds belong to the wildlife. We're merely visitors in their territory.

Give Leopards their territory - Yala Sri Lanka

Asia's oldest pleasure gardens? Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

The Palace in the skies - 600 ft up in the beautiful clouds of Sigiriya in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka, took just 7 years to be built. In the 5th century no less.

Explore the genius of its creator King Kasyapa (473-491 AC) and his fascinating life story through an +AYUINTHEWILD guided 'story-walk' meandering along the King's citadel that was once a lavish royal city. A wonderful masterpiece of 'city planning' in the 5th century with ponds cascading in terraced formation through bubbling fountains and rock gardens in symmetrical lines that surely inspired the landscaping art of the Indian subcontinent.

The guided story walks are part of the Ayu in the Wild tours across one of the world's wildest islands - Sri Lanka by jeep, foot and boat.

Contact: info@ayuinthewild.com 
Web: http://ayuinthewild.com/index.php

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 

Vantage points of the wildlife in srilanka

It's not only the wildlife safari goer who wants to be the first to 'spot' some unusual behaviour, a quick movement in the undergrowth or the distant blur of a swift-footed wild animal. In the wild, it can mean the difference between survival ...or not! 'Vantage Points' is our collection of wildlife images captured around our incredibly exciting wildlife parks that have captured the intensity of each animal in getting the best 'spot' to scour for food, catch a bit of sun, attract it's mate  or simply to survive!

On our safaris, we look at a different angle! How do animals behave? What do they do to live and survive? What makes them tick? And we learn all of this on foot, by boat and in safari jeeps. Our safaris are really Experiential adventure tours in the wild.  So out of the ordinary!

Talk to us about your tour in srilanka.
www.ayuinthewild.com
info@ayuinthewild.com
We're also on G+ and Twitter

If you are into +Beautiful planet Earth looking for +Amazing Places to See and love +Wildlife Worldwide +wildlifephotography or are a part of the community at +HQSP Birds +HQSP Animals +HQSP Landscape +Birds in Focus +BIRD LOVERS Worldwide who want a safari to be out of the ordinary, then this one is for you!

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