NOTES ON FIELD TRIPS TO WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK
- Wilpattu National Park 10th to 13th May 2025
My wife Dilki and I arrived at our house in Hunuwilagama around 10.30am to spend the Vesak long weekend. Wilpattu received quite a few heavy showers during the past few days and the water level at Hunuwilagama tank risen to spill level and reached the forest edge.
1.21pm entered the park.
1.37pm a Wild Buffalo at Percy Bendi Wewa.
1.41pm 3 Spotted Deer between Thammanna Wala and Divul Pitiya.
1.42pm a Wild Buffalo at Divul Pitiya.
2.05pm two Sambhur at Ibba Wala.
2.26pm 4 Spotted Deer at Madangahs Wala.
3.31pm one leopard lying on a Ficus tree at Kuruttupandi Upper Road. Only the hind part of the cat was visible since it was sleeping facing the opposite direction. After about 15 minutes I drove ahead to give way for the vehicles at the back.
3.47pm spotted another leopard on a high up branch of a tree down Kuruttupandi upper road. N 08.43651, E 079.98084
It was a young female leopard that was partly covered by the foliage and branches. The young leopardess was not disturbed by the vehicles parked on the road and appeared quite relaxed. Later upon examination of its spot pattern I noted that this is one of the second litter cubs of Manikrala Uraniya Female 1 (MRUF 1) popularly referred by the jeep drivers as Kuruttupandi Female. I estimated its age to be around one year and 4 months. As this is my first sighting of this cub, I named it Kuruttupandi Female 1 with the code KRPFC 1 for the purpose of my study.
4.16pm a Black-naped Hare ran on to the road at Kuruttupandi Villu.
4.17pm A young male leopard at Kuruttupandi Villu. N 08.43651, E 079.98228
Having photographed the female I drove back to check on the leopard that was sleeping on the Ficus tree. The jeep drivers informed me that it had descended from the tree and had walked into the thicket. I decided to drive down to the villu, expecting the leopard to break cover. After a few minutes a fine young male leopard moved out of the forest to lay down on a white sand patch. I had received images of this cub with its mother and its sibling that I just photographed. It was the male cub of the second litter of Manikrala Uraniya Female 1 (MRUF 1). Despite being of the same age (one year and 4 months) difference in size of the male was obvious. I was thrilled to have capture both these cubs that had eluded me from mid last year. As this is my first sighting of this cub, I named it Kuruttupandi Male 1 with the code KRPMC 1 for the purpose of my study.
4.30pm 8 Spotted Deer and a Ruddy Mongoose at Madangaha Wala.
4.40pm a Black-naped Hare at Kumbuk Wila.
5.09pm a Leopard at Maradanmaduwa. N 08.37657, E 080.07067
The female leopard was lying on a slightly elevated part of the ground. It was partly covered by bushes. She did not appear to be relaxed as she kept on looking over her shoulder towards the forest. Later upon examination of her spot pattern I noted that it is Palukola Wala Female 2 PKWFC 2. This female was seen with her mother, Palukola Wala Female, between Thammanna ala and Palukola Wala originally in September 2022. She has recently moved towards Maradanmaduwa which perhaps is the reason for her agitated behaviour.
5.19pm a Black-naped Hare at Maradanmaduwa.
5.35pm 4 Spotted Deer at Divul Pitiya.
5.50pm left the park.
6.20pm 52 Spotted Deer at the Hunuwilagama Tank.
Mammals - Leopard 3, Indian Buffalo 2, Sambhur 2, Spotted Deer 19, Ruddy Mongoose 1, Black-naped Hare 3, Toque Monkey, Grey Langer, Giant Squirrel, Indian Palm Squirrel.
Reptiles – Mugger Crocodile 1, Black Turtle, Land Monitor, Common Garden Lizard, Painted-lip Lizard, Low-land Kangaroo Lizard, Devaka’s Fan-throat Lizard.
11th May 2025
6.15am 82 Spotted Deer and 4 Wild Boar at the Hunuwilagama Tank.
7.16am entered the park.
27 Spotted Deer at the park entrance.
7.25am 2 Spotted Deer at Percybendi Wewa.
7.37am a Wild Buffalo at Divul Pitiya.
7.39am a large Mugger Crocodile at Palukola Wala.
7.47am 3 Spotted Deer at “Eda Kohomba Gaha Pitiya”.
7.50am 9 Spotted Deer at Maradanmaduwa.
8.13am a Ruddy Mongoose on Kumbuk Wila upper road.
8.18am 12 Spotted Deer at Madangas Wala.
8.52am 33 Spotted Deer at Manik Wila.
9.15am while driving from Downhall Pitiya to Mana Wila, the front left wheel of my vehicle started losing air after hitting a log. I managed to reach the Mana Wila bungalow with the partly deflated tyre. The party that had booked the bungalow had gone out on a game drive but arrived while I was changing the wheel. These heavy off-road tyres are effective in any terrain but needs a lot of effort to remove and replace alone. The DWC guide who accompanied the party was kind enough to give a helping hand. It took about one hour for me to change the wheel and set off from the bungalow.
12.15pm left the park to reach Nochchiyagama to get the tyre fixed.
Mammals - Indian Buffalo 1, Spotted Deer 168, Wild Boar 4, Ruddy Mongoose 1, Toque Monkey, Grey Langer, Giant Squirrel, Indian Palm Squirrel.
Reptiles – Mugger Crocodile 3, Black Turtle, Land Monitor, Common Garden Lizard, Green Garden Lizard, Painted-lip Lizard, Low-land Kangaroo Lizard, Devaka’s Fan-throat Lizard.
12th May 2025
I was informed of a Malabar Pied Hornbill nest in a chena close to a paddy field in Hunuwilagama. I arrived at Wilpattu Safari camp to pick up Namal Kamalgoda and the manager Patrick who joined me.
The nest hole was found on a Margosa tree growing adjacent to a patch of forest and a paddy field. The breeding behaviour of these birds are quite interesting. Once a nest hole is selected by the pair the female moves into the nest cavity. She then cements the opening with a mixture of mud and its own droppings leaving only a vertical slit where the male can pass food. Thereafter she sheds her flight, and tail feathers and lays her eggs. The bird remains inside this self-imposed prison incubating and relying on its mate to supply her food. These birds mainly feed on fruits but will feed on any small animals they can catch. I have seen them feeding on Lizards, snakes as well as chicks of smaller birds. Once the eggs are hatched the male brings a diet consisting of a higher percentage of animal prey which includes small animals such as lizards, frogs, mice and squirrels. Once her flight feathers have grown back the female will break the cemented opening and fly out of the nest to join the male in feeding their family. The remaining chicks will re cement the opening and will continue to remain in the nest feeding on the food that is delivered by both their parents. Once they grow their flight feathers the chicks move out and follow the parents begging to be fed during the first two months of their life.
7.31am the male visited the nest hole with a piece of earth in its beak and passed it to the nest. We were not able to see inside but it is very likely that it was received by the female. There after he regurgitated several small fruits from its crop and passed into the nest.
8.19am He arrived again and fed again with small fruits. Once he arrives at the nest the male will spend about 5 minutes feeding.
We left the nest site around 8.30am.
11.17am entered the park with my wife Dilki.
11.18am 12 Spotted Deer at the park entrance.
11.43am 7 Spotted Deer between Thammanna Wala and the first glade on the Maha Wewa Road.
11.47am 4 Spotted Deer between Thammanna Wala and Kukulkatuwa Junction.
11.52am 10 Spotted Deer accompanied by troops of Toque Monkey and Grey Langurs on Maha Wewa Road.
12.02pm 28 Spotted Deer and 2 Buffalo at Maha Wewa.
12.05pm 2 more Spotted Deer at Mahah Wewa.
12.07pm 31 Spotted Deer and 3 more Buffalo at Maha Wewa.
12.09pm 17 more Spotted Deer at Maha Wewa.
1.08pm 15 Spotted Deer at Maradanmaduwa.
1.31pm an adult male Wild Boar ran across the road between Walas ala and Borupan junction.
3.07pm one leopard on Kokkare Villu upper road. N 08.41257, E 079.99020
It was an adult female leopard lying on a horizontal branch of a “Madan” tree. She as sleeping but would periodically raise its head and look in our direction. I was pleased to note from the unmissable spot pattern on her forehead that this is Kumbuk Wila Female 2 (KWFC 2) affectionately referred to as “Cleopatra”. She had already raised two sets of cubs so far. Two males in September 2020 and a male and a female in July 2023. She should be producing a third litter in a few months from now.
4.04pm a Painted -lip Lizard was observed on the trunk of a nearby tree while observing the leopard.
4.23pm a Sloth Bear at Thambioluwa. These Bears have got habituated to the safari vehicles and can be observed walking quite close to them.
4.34pm at Maradanmaduwa one Ruddy Mongoose.
4.55pm an Indian Peafowl had fanned out its long train of beautiful elongated upper - tail covert feathers and was displaying to attract a female.
5.54pm left the park.
Ruddy Mongoose, Eurasian Otter, Common Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet were observed in the garden.
Mammals - - Leopard 1, Sloth Bear 1, Indian Buffalo 4, Spotted Deer 126, Wild Boar 1, Ruddy Mongoose 2, Toque Monkey, Grey Langer, Common Palm Civet, Small Indian Civet, Giant Squirrel, Indian Palm Squirrel.
Reptiles – Mugger Crocodile 3, Black Turtle 4, Land Monitor, Common Garden Lizard, Painted-lip Lizard 1, Low-land Kangaroo Lizard, Devaka’s Fan-throat Lizard.
Birds, Butterflies & Flora observed during the field trip.
Birds – Lesser Adjutant, Painted Storks, White-necked Stork, Brown Fish Owl, Brown Hawk Owl
Butterflies - Blue Mormon, Banded Peacock, Tamil Yeoman,
Wild Orchids – Vanila walkerai
Fruiting Trees - Weera, Kiri Kone
Wildflowers – Kora Kaha
13th May 2025
Visited the Malabar Pied Hornbill nest again.
7.13am the male arrived again with a small piece of earth and passed it inside. There after he left.
8.39am the male arrived again with a crop full of small berries and fed the bird/s inside the nest.
8.45am we left the nest site.
