Year and Month | August, 2013 |
Number of Days | Three Day Trip |
Crew | 5 (between 26-28 years of age) |
Accommodation | L.L.T Safari Hotel, Wilpattu |
Transport | Car up to Wilpattu and a safari jeep inside the NP |
Activities | Safari / Photography / Wild Life |
Weather | Excellent |
Route | Gampaha>Negambo > Puttalam> Wilpattu |
Tips, Notes and Special remark |
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Author | anton gihan |
Comments | Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread |
Hello friends,
We started from Gampaha at about 5 o’clock in the morning. The crew was five in a car. Could not book a bungalow inside the park and since arranged to stay @ L.L.T safari hotel close by wilpattu park. Owner Tiuder is a very nice and honest guy. He has few jeeps as well. Charges were very fair and helpful as well. Contact him through 0714187083 and try to arrange the driver named Dammika. Very nice and a great guy who will go for that extra bit to show us the best.
We came to the hotel by 10.30am. Drive was great. Went for a safari in the afternoon after having lunch. Will post the pics..
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And then we met the 1st leopard. Thought it was dead in the beginning since it was not moving at all. Saw him breathing through the camera lens. Guess it had a heavy meal n trying to relax… we were next to him for almost 1 hour.
It wasn’t in a mood to get up. It was almost 5.30pm and we allowed the big cat to rest and start moving since we have to get out from the park by 6.30pm.
We woke up early in the morning and cleared the gate by 6.15am. Hoping that we will have some luck today as well.
And then we were lucky again.. Though it vanished to the jungle very fast.
Then we found a carcass secured nicely on top of a tree. We were there for a long time and went to the same place several times to see if we can see the leopard on top.. but we were not lucky..
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That was the end of the 2nd day.. We saw three leopards but could capture only one since one was way inside the thick jungle and one we saw in the dark n far away…
Third and last day morning was the best. We met a leopard very close as soon as we started the safari. Pics will tell you the story.
We were next to the leopard for about 15 mins and took all the pics we need. It went to sleep and the place started to get crowded. So we decided to go from there and have breakfast. We went and checked the boar carcass .it was half gone. Guess that was the reason for the big cat’s sleepiness
After breakfast we started to move around again. Then suddenly saw two cubs in the road and they vanished to the thick jungle in a flash. Were able to see the mother leopard too by the naked eye through the trees. Wish we were lucky to capture that rare moment with 3 leopards.. This was the only clear pic I was able to take.
After finishing the morning safari, we came to the hotel and had lunch. Thanked the jeep driver Dammika and hotel owner Tiuder for all the support. Came back home happily in the same route talking how lucky we were again. Same like last time in Yala. But wonder when we will see a sloth bear looking forward to see one during the next Kumana camping in September!!!
Thanks for reading the report. Will write soon!!!