Knocking horns!

Known as the “Thith Muwa” in Sinhala literally converts to “spotted deer”. Also called by other names such as Chital or Axis Deer is one of the most common animals you will see in most local national parks in Sri Lanka. 

They are the motion detectors of the wild! Any slight movement will alarm them and if they sense any danger they will take off at 65 kmph like lightning….with spots! 

Generally living in groups of 10-15 they maintain a strict herbivorous diet mainly of grass along with other fruits and tree leaves. Males grow a beautiful set of antlers that can even reach up to 2.5 feet in length which is shed every year. In the mating period, they use the antlers to impress the ladies! They mate all year round meaning so the headgear maintenance is pretty high up in their priority list! 

You can thank Chital for one of the largest leopard species in the world being in Sri Lanka as they top the list as the main prey. Your guests might be lucky enough to observe one of these exhilarating hunts in a safari through Mahoora Yala.