We arrived at Wilpattu National Park late morning after a short drive west. We are staying at a tented camp run by Big Game Camps and were shown to our cute little tent with all mod cons – power, lighting, a double bed, and bathroom with loo and shower.
We were warned to keep the sleeping compartment zipped up at all times and soon found out why when we saw a lizard sneaking about!
Wilpattu comes from villu-pattu or land of lakes as it is dotted with what look like lakes, but they are just depressions filled with rainwater which expand and contract with the seasons and attract wildlife. It is the largest of the 26 national parks, but was closed during the civil war as it straddled the north/south border. It is best known for leopards and sloth bears but there are also elephants, spotted deer and sambar, water buffalos, mongooses, crocodiles and lots of birds … so we’ll just have to see!
Lunch was an elegant affair of soup, curry and curds with a white cloth in the dining tent and after a chance to freshen up, we saw a little green bee-eater and a red-wattled lapwing just by the pond as we waited for our first safari drive.
On the way to the park entrance we dodged the chillis and rice drying on the road … and picked up our park guide who came with us.
The first stretch of road was closely wooded on both sides for some distance, but we still spotted some water buffalo and spotted deer.
We reached one of the small lakes and saw an oriental darter, fish eagle and fish-owl.
It opened out a bit and there was a crocodile …
some peacocks…
… more deer … more buffalo and more peacocks!
Before we knew it, it was time to turn back but the light was better and we saw a white-throated kingfisher, a jungle fowl – the national bird and a painted stork.
Just as we approached the exit, we glimpsed a pair of elephants in the trees … honest!
The shower was excellent, if cold, and was followed by dinner by candlelight round a bonfire and an early night.
Next day we were up drinking a cup of tea at 5.30 so we could be at the front of the queue when the park opened at 6.15. We were firmly focused on trying to spot a leopard, and drove past more deer, buffalo and peacocks without stopping. We drove round this way, and that way, but to no avail … and when we congregated for a breakfast stop in a clearing with other trucks, no-one else had been any luckier that morning. I should add we spoke to several people who had seen a leopard in the last couple of days, so they are there. The only additions to our tally on this outing were a sambar deer, mongoose, monkey and serpent eagle.
While 94 separate leopards have been identified in the park over the years, they are territorial which means we had really only been searching for potentially a couple of pairs of leopards at most … not surprising we missed them … but as the poster says … maybe they were watching us!
Next stop Dambulla!
Off Travelling Together 