A Global Bird - The Common Snipe

Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Wilpattu National Park 

Fun Facts
The male Common Snipe performs a ‘winnowing’, generally referred to their display of courtship by circling high and then diving, which produces a distinctive sound as the air flows over their specially modified feathers. In addition to their mating dance, the long pointed bill of the Common snipe helps it probe in the mud for snails, small crustaceans, insects, larvae and earthworms whilst it also consumes certain plant matter.

Lesser Known Facts
All snipes nest on the ground except the New Zealandic Snipe, who uses burrows of other birds to nest. The female lays three to four olive brown eggs in the hollow grass-lined nests, and incubates these eggs for about 19 to 20 days. The young are fed by both their parents and learn to fly within 2 weeks and then proceed to leave the nest almost immediately after they are able to fly. 

Where To Find Him
The common snipes breed from Alaska to Newfoundland South to the Mid-United States. During the winter periods, they breed from northern South America to British Columbia, the northern Gulf States and Virginia. They can also be found in Europe, Northern Africa and Asia.

The Mugger Crocodile of Udawalawe

Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Udawalawe National Park 

Fun Facts
The mugger crocodile gets its name from the way its teeth are placed. The mugger crocodile’s top and bottom set of teeth tend to overhang when it closes its mouth, unlike the American alligator, who in comparison shows only its top teeth when its mouth is closed. Another fun facts about these crocodiles are that the males are polygynous, where only one male will mate with multiple females. 

Lesser Known Facts
The mugger crocodile, also known as the ‘Marsh crocodile’ is a croc of medium to large size with a broadset snout of all living members of the genus Crocodylus. They look more like alligators than any other crocodile, especially with their rounded snout as most crocodiles are known to have pointy and straight edged snouts. 

Like most other crocodiles, muggers too feature a flat head where their eyes, ears and nose are placed on top, making it easier for them to see, hear and breathe above water when their bodies are submerged in water. 

Where To Find Him
The mugger crocodiles can be found in the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka in the East, Iran in the West and Pakistan and Nepal in the North. This species is found in freshwater lakes, marshes and ponds and over time has adapted well to surviving in reservoirs, man-made ponds, irrigation canals and coastal saltwater lagoons. 

The mugger crocodiles prefer shallow bodies of water, with the water no more than 5 meters deep and it avoids fast flowing rivers. Muggers may sometimes bury themselves into the mud to avoid the searing heat during the dry season. 

The Majestic Tusker ‘Sando’ of Kumana

Mahoora Tented Safari Camp - Yala National Park 

Fun Facts
This picture of ‘Sando’ the male tusker was taken in Yala National Park - where he generally lives in block II. Sando is affectionately named after ‘Sando Stunt’ due to his larger than life stature. 

Lesser Known Facts
During his musth period from May to August, Sando visits Yala black I to find a suitable female so tmate with. He gets pretty aggressive during this period, and tries to attack jeeps or anything that he may come across. Back in 2018, Sando had an altercation with our other tusker ‘Gemunu’ which resulted in Gemunu losing one of his tusks. 

Where To Find Him
The 35 year old tusker resides mostly in Yala, in block II and also spends his time in the adjacent Kumana National Park.