WILD Sri Lanka - Leopards of Yala NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Revered. As the pyramid. This, is Salem, also. Known as. Sri. Lanka. And. I'm, here to explore the country in all of, its wild, untamed, eating. Like, countless explorers, before me this, is my chance. I've. Come at the end of the dry season as. The monsoon winds are getting stronger and powerful. Waves bashed the shore. I'm. Heading, into one of the last strongholds of, one of the mightiest, predators, on this continent. Wow. Took. It up it. Struggled, actually freed itself from a small height and fell down. Now. They're slowly recovering, but still they're, very rare even here in Sri Lanka. Maybe. Now they'll realize that. The. Tortoise came here because of water. Even. Being perfectly, adapted to this environment. Am I, still occasionally drink. Most. Animals, they are seeking, this precious resource. However. It is what comes to the waterfall next that takes me completely, by surprise. Local. Stray dog spots, the newcomer first but. I am not far behind I want. To examine this reptile up close now will be difficult, in these boots so. Instead I decided, to try and handle him. This. Is not what I had in mind for our first introduction. Whoo. That, was too close for comfort. Any. Photography, now I. Decide, to put him down. Maybe packs predators, here like. Most reptiles, Bengal. Monitors are active hunters, but. These lizards, are also scavengers. They're. Often seen, on caucuses. And digging up dead fish from, when the lakes have evaporator, in the dry season. Yala. National Park, is a safe haven fleas as they, are not hunted here vultures. Are deterred by collaboration, of biologists, and. Is. Here and, they have an actual eardrum inside. See. So they are, very good. And. Monitor, I. Never. Believed oh that's one of these guys. Those. Claws and teeth remind, me the animal and looking for. The. Right now I'm, drawn towards, the water just. As all the animals. Over. The summer months the, lands here dries out and. The lakes become, few and far between. During. These desperate, times the, animals must do everything they can to stay alive and keep cool. Everything. From deer to even, bears rely. On the water. But. There's, a scary of presence here. The. Leopard is always, watching. They. Have all these exits, and entrances all. These tunnels in the rock. Can. Already smell bit of ammonia as well. Oh. They're. Roosting up there I can see them. These. Are insectivores. Bats, so, there are lots of threats of humans at all they, go out of nighttime to, hunt for insects around, the whole jungle they fly around this attachment from the air I think, I'll move out of the cave now to. Let them settle down again, as. Well they'll probably be out of here in the evening go hunting. Later. That day I come back to the lagoon and find. A big saltwater, crocodile, just, sleeping, there on the edge. It. May seem crazy to be coming so close but. I know my way around crocodiles. And what's a nice closer picture. Definitely. Not something to try at home. Got. Him. Have to be quite careful here, with a cat type only. Upon to your pants, but. Now it's. Late in the evening I'm. Coming back to my base camp from a long day it, was a good day. Now. You just need to find where our campus. Settled. After the night. Next. Morning I set out along the beach. It. Is hard going on the jeans but, I must continue, and push off I. Cannot. Wait to, find my reverie. We're. In the forest for the first time and, I've. Already heard, some jungle, style calling, many, other bird species here. Now. We're trying to find paths among. All these trees. All these impatient, trees they're very prickly it's. Very hard going. To find the path those snakes in land and, go along in. Here. That languorous. Also. Known as Hanuman, monkeys, after the famous God. There's. One sitting just there you, find I'm not sure if you can see you these, are great on board. Very. Peaceful. Very social, monkeys as well they have big room. Led, by an alpha male. Very, skittish so there scarole, people. This. Is how work best on. My own in the bush and. There's a lot of wildlife here waiting. To be discovered. Jana. Has, the highest, density of leopards in the world, but. I've been searching, on the first birthday and it. Seems wherever. I go I just cannot keep pace with one it. Was time to, call. In the. They're. Really big powerful animals, they call even leopards probably wouldn't attack that guy. If. We, were out of the car probably, on foot around here, good. Attackers if it feels threatened, especially, in the water hole like this weight, has no cover needs. Protection it's looking straight at us as well he's looking is it a threat is, it nothing. Mods. Are there in the water. Buffalo. Also rely on water for food as they, feed by grazing on the few plants that survived.
During. The day everyone. Till. Dusk animals. Begin to appear. In. Each. Other. After. The evenings activity, most, animals, are settling down. And. As, we were preparing for the night I race. Off to some very unusual commotion. Through the. Tree look, there's a squirrel trying. To maneuver. It off. By, the time backup, arrives we just have to fill them with everything in URLs I. See. How well it crimes also you, wouldn't think for such a big snake against, a fee like this. Uses, the bottom scales on its stomach his, roof onto the tree and fear like. Loosli time you were on top of it trying to defend the tree look. Between. The snake and the G there's, such an uproar that even, a deer spooked from the bushes. The. Cober eventually, gives up and, everyone, returns, to. What is a magnificent. Evening. It's been a long day chasing after leopards, in the. Car and the big four we will drive caught. A few glimpses today. But. Still not exactly what I want to all go out again tomorrow see. If we can find leopards, find, me photograph, them. Their. Teeth will get better luck. The. Next morning I continued, my journey and, as. Yellow slowly awakens, I reach. His heart. Behind. Me this is the famous elephant rock formation. It's, gets. Its name from the shape because. From one of the sides you can actually see this. This. Is the place where it's your iconic predators, the sloth bear and the. Leopard can be found together. This. Is their land, but. Sadly there, may be as few as five hundred leopards. Left in, all, Sri Lanka. Each. One of them crucial, to ensure that these majestic, cats, do, not vanish forever. But. Right now I am getting closer. Indeed. Far, among the branches there, is a vague but. Unmistakable. Outline. Soon. Enough, the leopard begins to move and like. A phantom, of the shadows, he, appears. This. Is what I've been waiting for. He. Doesn't. Just. Like, for. A ferocious predator they, do have a lazy sight, leopards. Use up to 18, hours a day for. Sleeping and grooming, themselves. But. Make, no mistake this. Is a wild animal, it. Shows no fear of us because, it has not been threatened, hurt, or disturbed, in any way allowing. Me to be so close. It. Is a privilege, to observe, nature in this way. Behaves. Like a difficult. Despite. The widest distribution of. All big cats the leopard, is one of them of some dangerous species. By. Protecting, them we, can save their habitat, and ensure. That every, species living here can survive in future. This. Is the ultimate, protector, of Yala and the. Protector, of Sri. Lanka. Find. Leopard, and I think now it's time to move out of the other. As. I make my way back I can't. Help but rejoice, in how much wildlife, there is and how. Much there, is left to see. You.
2020-06-02 03:18
