Sri Lankan leopard

Characteristics

The Sri Lankan leopard has a tawny or rusty yellow coat with dark spots and close-set rosettes, which are smaller than in Indian leopards. Seven females measured in the early 20th century averaged a weight of 64 lb (29 kg) and had a mean head-to-body-length of 3 ft 5 in (1.04 m) with a 2 ft 6.5 in (77.5 cm) long tail, the largest being 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m) with a 2 ft 9 in (84 cm) long tail; 11 males averaged 124 lb (56 kg), the largest being 170 lb (77 kg), and measured 4 ft 2 in (1.27 m) with a 2 ft 10 in (86 cm) long tail, the largest being 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m) with a 3 ft 2 in (97 cm) long tail.

The Sri Lankan leopard has allegedly evolved to become a rather large leopard subspecies, because it is an apex predator without competition by other large wild cat species in the country. Large males reach almost 220 lb (100 kg).

Melanistic leopards are rare. Only four records exist, from Mawuldeniya, Pitadeniya and Nallathanniya. In October 2019, the Department of Wildlife Conservation recorded live footage of melanistic individuals for the first time, reportedly documenting four different animals – one female, one male, and two cubs.

Distribution and habitat

The Sri Lankan leopard used to occur in all habitats throughout the island. These habitat types can be broadly categorized into:

• arid zone with 2,000 mm (79 in) rainfall.

In Sri Lanka's central hills, leopards have been recorded in forest patches, tea estates, grasslands, home gardens, pine and eucalyptus plantations.

Ecology and behaviour

A study in Yala National Park indicates that Sri Lankan leopards are not any more social than other leopard subspecies. They are solitary hunters, with the exception of females with young. Both sexes live in overlapping territories with the ranges of males overlapping the smaller ranges of several females, as well as overlapping the ranges of neighbouring males. They prefer hunting at night, but are also active during dawn and dusk, and daytime hours. They rarely haul their kills into trees, which is likely due to the lack of competition and the relative abundance of prey. Since the leopard is the apex predator in Sri Lanka, it does not need to protect its prey. In 2001 to 2002, adult resident leopard density was estimated at 17.9 individuals per 100 km² (39 sq mi) in Block I of Yala National Park in Sri Lanka's southeastern coastal arid zone. This block encompasses 140 km² (54 sq mi), contains coastal plains and permanent human-made and natural waterholes, which combined allow for a very high density of prey species.

The Sri Lankan leopard hunts by silently stalking its prey, until it is within striking distance where it unleashes a burst of speed to quickly pursue and pounce on its victim. The prey is usually dispatched with a single bite to the throat. Like most cats, it is pragmatic in its choice of diet which can include small mammals, birds, reptiles as well as larger animals. Axis or spotted deer make up the majority of its diet in the dry zone. The animal also preys on sambar, barking deer, wild boar and monkeys.

There appears to be no birth season or peak, with births scattered across months. A litter usually consists of two to four cubs.

The leopard is sympatric with the Sri Lankan sloth bear.

Threats

The survival of the Sri Lankan leopard is threatened due to habitat loss and fragmentation primarily with some levels of direct poaching and direct and indirect human-leopard related leopard deaths. Three individuals were killed by snare traps in the Sinharaja conservation area, one of which is stuffed and displayed at the Giritale Wildlife Museum. In May 2020, another wounded leopard was found and rescued at the Lakshapana Estate in Nallathanniya, Hatton. Later, it was transported to the Randenigala Veterinary Hospital for treatment. Then the animal was transferred to Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawa, where it died while receiving treatments. The snare had heavily injured its neck.

Conservation

Further research into the Sri Lankan leopard is needed for any conservation measure to be effective. 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 undertake some studies. The WWCT is engaged throughout the island with targeted work ongoing in the central hills region where fragmentation of the leopard's habitat is rapidly occurring.

In captivity

As of December 2011, there are 75 captive Sri Lankan leopards in zoos worldwide. Within the European Endangered Species Programme 27 male, 29 female and 8 unsexed individuals are kept.

Local names

The leopard is colloquially known as kotiya (Sinhala: කොටියා) and chiruthai (Tamil: சிறுத்தை). Panthera pardus kotiya is the kotiyā proper.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the word 'kotiya' was being frequently incorrectly translated into English as "tiger" in Sri Lankan media due to incorrect information that was received from the then head of the Wildlife Department in Sri Lanka. He allegedly said that "there are no kotiyas (tigers) in Sri Lanka but diviyās", misinterpreting P. p. kotiya as "diviyā". The word "diviyā" refers to small wild cats such as "Handun Diviyā" or "Kola Diviyā". Both names are used interchangeably for the fishing cat and the rusty-spotted cat. Traditional Sinhala idioms such as 'a change in the jungle will not change the spots of a "kotiyā"', confirms the traditional use of 'kotiyā' to refer to the leopard and not to the tiger.

As a symbol

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) were colloquially known to the Sinhala-speaking community as 'Koti', the plural form of 'Kotiyā'. The Tamil Tigers have chosen the Sri Lankan leopard as the national animal of the aspired state of Tamil Eelam, and the Chola Tiger as its flag. A soccer team which is called the Tamil Eelam national football team which plays on ConIFA has the Sri Lankan leopard on their emblem.