Have you ever thought of how gorgeous are Sri Lankan leopards? With their stunningly beautiful spotted coat and graceful movements, leopards are the rulers of the Sri Lankan jungles. They are the kings and queens of the wilderness, having a supreme legacy over all other wildlife. The Sri Lankan leopard, Panthera pardus kotiya is an endemic species to the island. Since there aren’t any natural predators for them in Sri Lanka, leopards grow into giants of the jungles. They are bigger and less nocturnal than those in Africa. Since some of them are habituated to safari jeeps, they consider as popular leopards in Yala National Park.
Among 26 National Parks in the country, Yala National Park boasts the highest density of leopards in the whole world. Yala is quite famous among safari-goers who love to see the majestic leopards. Since leopards in Yala are familiar with safari jeeps, they are parading around the park without any fear of humans. In Yala, they can easily spot drinking water during the daytime or just hanging around on tree branches. If you are a lover of these gorgeous big cats, Yala is the best place on the whole planet to witness them.
Yala National Park is Sri Lanka’s second-largest park. Bordered by the sea, it is located on the southeastern tip of the country. The park occupies almost 1,000 square kilometres and divides into five blocks. Reportedly, over 100 leopards are roaming in Block 1. Therefore, many visitors are heading to Block 1 which is the most popular and crowded one. Block 5 is one hour away from the main area and it is where the majority of the safari camps and hotels are located. reportedly, around 22 leopards live in Block 5.
How to identify leopards?
All leopards show a similar appearance and seem identical from the distance. But rangers and safari guides know the name of each leopard. Are you wondering how to recognize each individual? The spot patterns on their forehead and the facial area help to identify them. Using these patterns on their head and sides, all the leopards in Yala are identified and given a specific code and a name. The code contains YM or YF before the number, Y for Yala, and M or F for male or female.
Yala Leopard Center
Since 2020, there is a new information center at the entrance of Yala National Park that lets visitors identify these stars of the jungle. The Yala Leopard Center (YLC) contains information on over 100 leopards documented through identification. Their pictures and videos display in this center, where you can learn everything about Sri Lankan leopards. The center aims to raise awareness and share knowledge about the leopards of Yala. Certainly, the main target is protecting and conserving the Sri Lankan Leopard by spreading the information.
Yala Leopard Diary
Yala Leopard Diary is a database containing all the details of the leopards living in Yala National Park. It is a tremendous resource for people who want to find details about each leopard. The database contains pictures of each leopard, its code, name, age, and the area they are living in.
How easy to spot leopards?
This is one of the top questions in the mind of safari-goers who love to see leopards. Although there isn’t any definite answer, lots of visitors to Yala have spotted them at least once. Leopards in Yala are accustomed to the safari jeeps and visitors. Most of them aren’t shy or afraid of humans. Therefore, you have a good chance of seeing them during your safari tour.
Popular leopards in Yala
Particularly, several leopards in Yala are sighted often by photographers. They are quite famous among the visitors of Yala National Park. These photogenic leopards have made a name for themselves as entertaining characters. In this post, we’d like to introduce you to a few of these interesting big cats in Yala Block I.
1. YF32 – Strawberry
YF32 – Strawberry is a pretty leopardess in Yala. She is called by this name because of her sweet personality. She is one of the popular leopards in Yala due to her photogenic actions. Strawberry is considered one of the most photographed leopards in Yala. Now she is a proud mom who is raising her own beautiful kids.
On a game drive, you might be able to catch sight of Strawberry. Since she has become familiarized with visitors, she won’t shy away from safari jeeps. She will look and continue on her journey, giving you plenty of opportunities to catch some iconic photographs.
2. YF12 – Sasha
Sasha is a legendary leopardess in Yala, who raised a number of cubs to adulthood safely. As a mother in the wilderness, her role in raising kids is highly appreciated. She is a wonderful, heroic mom which helped to increase the leopard population in Yala National Park.
She is among the most popular leopards in Yala. In 2022, she was observed looking after three beautiful babies. Currently, these cubs are all grown up and named as Scott, Spencer, and Salomi.
3. YM16 – Lucas
Definitely, mighty Lucas tops the list of the most popular leopards in Yala. Lucas was born in 2017 and had a brother called Lance. Lucas and Lance were well protected by their mother. She frequently exposed her cubs to visitors and they got habituated to the safari jeeps at a fairly young age. Lucas and Lance were playful brothers and they were roaming freely in the park.
Sadly, Lance faced an untimely death at the age of 2 in 2019. Gradually, Lucas became a mature adult who dominates a huge part of Block 1. Bold as ever, he claimed his own territory and can be seen regularly around his part of the jungle. He doesn’t hesitate to capture prey larger than his own body. Strong and powerful, Lucas is considered the current King of Yala National Park.
Certainly, Lucas is one of the top stars in Yala. Since he is quite photogenic and he isn’t shy, Lucas is among the top-photographed leopards in Yala. Although many visitors are following him, he doesn’t care and lives his life as a dominant male in the area.
4. YM47 – Julius
Julius is a highly popular male leopard in Yala. He became an internet sensation overnight when his video of trying to kill a buffalo went viral through the internet. He made a quite risky attempt to catch the buffalo, but it was unsuccessful. Another day, he was trying to hunt down a wild boar, but he failed.
Julius became so famous due to his risky behaviour in catching prey. Certainly, Julius was learning things the hard way and trying to improve his hunting skills. Eventually, he has become a well-grown, gorgeous adult. It seems he has mastered the hunting games and learned everything about survival in the wild.
5. YM11 – Hitler
Hitler is among the top dominant male leopards in Yala National Park. He is a brave leopard who is dominating in the Yala Block I. He is such a fearless guy, with a stony appearance that gives chills to the visitors.
If you visit the Yala Leopard Center, the evolution of Hitler is displayed in his pictures. His life cycle is carefully documented through a series of photographs, recording the many stages of his growth from a cub into a striking adult.
6.YM07 – Cattle Thief
Cattle Thief or Harak Hora is a legendary leopard who dominates in Block 1. As his name suggests, he is a bold leopard really good at hunting adult buffalo and cattle. Sometimes he faced a fierce battle and resistance from them.
But he is a clever hunter who can kill larger buffaloes than his own body weight. You can see the scars of these fighting on his face. The big scar on his lower left jaw showcases his fierce nature.
7. YM27 – Michael
Michael is a gorgeous adult male in Yala Block I. Lots of pictures of this majestic big cat are available on social media. He is a promising young leopard thriving in the jungle.
He is the only rival who competes with Lucas to become the next King of Yala National Park. Although, he is quite strong and the perfect match for Lucas, still he is far behind in acquiring the territory of the present King.
8. YF34 -Michelle
Michelle is the sister of YM27 – Michael. She is relatively small in size and seems to be quite camera-shy. Unlike her photogenic, highly famous brother, she doesn’t like to mingle with visitors. Instead, she likes to wander through the jungle for far distances. Once she was observed 25 km far away from her usual living area.
9. YM20 – Arthur
YM20 – Arthur is one of the most dominant males in the Yala National Park. He is one of the biggest male leopards in the south part. Usually, he prefers to stay on the top of the iconic “leopard rock” which translates into “Kotigala” in Sinhalese. Most of his photographs show he is sitting proudly on top of this rock. Thus he is called the “King of the Rocks”. One of his most prominent features is the short tail.
10. YM44 – Jerry
YM44 -Jerry is the proud big boy of legendary leopardess YF-01 Jeena. Carrying the same bloodline as his brother YM07 – Harak Hora, he is one of the dominant males in Yala. He is roaming around a large area of the park to establish its territory. With his handsome beauty, Jerry is quite famous among the ladies and spotted with many females in the northern part of the park. He is getting stronger and bolder day by day.
To sum up, here we have mentioned the most popular leopards in Yala National Park. Isn’t it exciting to see these magnificent big cats in their own homes? You’ll meet some of them during your safari trip to Yala. Needless to say, the sight of these graceful felines will bring you an everlasting golden memory. Welcome guys, Come and meet these stars in Yala National Park.!
