Do we have a problem?

A Sri Lankan Leopard asks a question

“Watch your step friend, I don’t take kindly to anyone stepping into my territory. Kumana National Park is mine. All of it. Any leopard or person that walks there, does so with my permission and if they don’t understand that, they learn the hard way. You’re a photographer aren’t you? You can stay. I don’t mess with anyone unless they mess with me. Some fights are easy and some are not, as you can see by my scars and torn ear. But in the end they all bow to me, Sudda - the king of Kumana! You know, most people identify leopards by counting the rosettes and spots, but one look at my size and battle scars, and everybody knows.

Fun Facts

“You’ve heard about my harem and want a picture of me with them? We’re not lions you know, we don’t go around as a pride. My 7 girls are spread out across the park. So if you’re lucky, you’ll get a picture of me with one of them when I do my rounds checking on my territory. Who knows, maybe it will be when I go to the North-East border of the park where the farmlands meet the forest. Some leopards go there for easy prey, I go there to remind people of what a real alpha-male leopard is like. That way, everyone stays in their lane.”

Story of the Photo

Whilst staying at Explorer by Eco Team in Kumana National Park, Dilum was on a morning safari when he encountered the fearsome Sudda lounging on a rock, quite close to a Forestry Department bungalow.