A rebuttal from Cleopatra, three years on

Funny, isn’t it? They named me Cleopatra and then wondered why I act like a queen. Three years have passed since that loudmouth from Manikrala Uraniya put on her performance, boasting about speed, spots and suitors. I remember that rant well. Much has changed since then; the land, the rains, even me. I hunt when I wish, rest when I please, and walk the ground I have earned. The forest leaves no room for petty rivalries. The plains shift with every season, and those who adapt, endure. That is why I hunt by moonlight now. It is cooler, quieter, and the shadows are my allies. Those who call it scheming have simply not learned to listen to the wild. As for her accusations, homewrecker, temptress, troublemaker, they amuse me. Leopards do not belong to one another; we belong to the wilderness. Her so-called mate, Mr. Nelumwila, may have shared time and cubs with me, or perhaps not. The truth lies somewhere between the rivers and the stars. What matters is that my cubs thrive. They have learned the art of silence, the reading of scent on damp bark, the skill of moving unseen when danger stirs. That, to me, is legacy enough.

My coat gleams not from admiration but from effort. Each rosette is a story of survival, of hunts won, cubs guarded, nights weathered. I wear endurance, not vanity. Those who boast of being fastest or fiercest still mistake noise for strength. You call yourself the Lady of Manikrala Uraniya? Keep the title. I prefer motion to ceremony. While you practised your threats, I traced new paths through flooded plains and shifting trails. Here is the truth. I hunt at night because the prey has changed, not because of any male. My cubs resemble strength, not scandal. And in this forest, silence outlasts pride. So let them talk. I will keep leaping, teaching my young to land softly, to listen deeply, and to follow their own paths. When the floods rise again, they will not remember the gossip or the noise. They will remember the leap, the strength, the quiet, and the queen who ruled without needing to say she did. Cleopatra. Queen by nature, not by name.

Guests at the Mahoora Tented Safari Camp in Wilpattu had the rare opportunity to witness Cleopatra, one of Sri Lanka’s most captivating leopards, in mid-leap during a morning safari. Thanks to the park’s healthy leopard population, sightings like this are possible during guided excursions, offering visitors an unforgettable glimpse of the forest’s elusive predators in action.