Sri Lanka Leopard
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| Panthera pardus kotiya |
The Sri Lanka leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya), also colloquially known as Kotiya is a subspecies of leopard native to Sri Lanka. Kotiya is the colloquial Sinhala name for the leopard.
It is a close relative of the Indian, North China, Persian and other Asian leopards.
A recent study has shown that Yala National Park has one of the highest recorded densities of leopards in the world, although this animal is considered an endangered species even here. The Wilpattu National Park in Sri Lanka is also famous as a good place for leopard watching. Leopards are more visible in parts of Sri Lanka than many places where they share their habitat with dominant competitors.
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[edit] Description
The Sri Lanka leopard is one of the eight known subspecies of leopard, and is thought to be one of the largest, although research is still to confirm this. Its coat is tawny or rusty yellow, stamped with dark spots and rosettes.
[edit] Range and habitat
This leopard is found only in Sri Lanka, and is the country's top predator. Very little has been known about it in the past, but ongoing studies (The Leopard project- The Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust, www.wwct.org) indicate that they are still distributed throughout the island both within and outside protected areas. Dry ever green monsoon forest, arid zone scrub jungle, low and upper montane forest, rainforest and wet zone intermediate forests are some of the habitats currently inhabited by these leopards.
[edit] Feeding
Like most leopards, the Sri Lanka leopard is pragmatic in its diet choice which can include small mammals, birds, reptiles and larger animals. Axis or spotted deer make up the majority of its diet in the dry zone. But the animal also preys on monkeys, wild boar, barking deer and sambar.
Observations have shown that this cat has been known to tackle almost full-grown buffalos. When hunting, the leopard silently stalks its prey unnoticed. Then, it releases a quick burst of speed, bringing the prey down. A single bite to the throat finishes the kill.
[edit] Biology
A recent study in Yala National Park (The Leopard Project www.wwct.org) indicates that Sri Lankan leopards are no more social or less nocturnal than other populations. It is a solitary hunter, with exception of females and young. Both sexes live in overlapping territories with male ranges overlapping numerous much-smaller female ranges as well as overlapping sections of neighbouring male ranges. The litter consists of around 2 cubs, and breeding season throughout the year with a non significant peak in the dry season. Leopards in Sri Lanka do not appear to cache kills in trees with much frequency which is consistent with other populations with absent dominant competitors.
[edit] Threats
The Sri Lanka leopard has been threatened, due to poaching, habitat loss, and persecution. But despite these threats, the animal is highly adaptable to these changes and is able to live in close proximity to human settlements. Years of civil unrest have hampered conservation efforts, especially in the Wilpattu national park and eastern regions contested by government forces and LTTE terrorists.
[edit] Conservation
Further research into the Sri Lankan leopard is needed for any conservation measure to be meaningful. The Leopard Project under the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT) is working closely with the government of Sri Lanka to ensure this occurs. The Sri Lanka Wildlife conservation society will also undetake some studies. The WWCT are currently engaged in the central hills where habitat fragmentation is rapidly occurring. Their earlier research at Yala Ruhuna National Park forms a baseline for understanding this island leopard.
[edit] Misidentification in Sri Lanka
Some years ago, the Kotiya was mistakenly published as "tiger" in some Sri Lankan media due to incorrect information they got from the then head of the Wildlife Department in Sri Lanka. He said that "there are no Kotiyas in Sri Lanka", misinterpreting Panthera pardus kotiya as "Diviya" (cat) in Sinhala.
In fact, there are no tigers in Sri Lanka, only leopards. Although Panthera pardus kotiya is the Kotiya, and the is no animal named Panthera pardus diviya, people started wrongly using "Kotiya" for "tiger" and "diviya" was chosen for "leopard".
The term "Diviya" has been used for centuries in Sri Lanka for smaller wild species of the cat family like Handun Diviya (s), Kola Diviya (s), etc.
