January 2025
The Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust
130 Reid Avenue , Colombo 04, Sri Lanka
Tel: +94 11 2589468/+94 773 544 382
Email: info@wwct.org
Executive Summary:
In 2024 WWCT maintained its long-term monitoring of 7 varied sites across most of Sri Lanka’s climatic regions including the arid zone, dry zone, sub-montane wet zone and intermediate zone. This research focus remains key to WWCT’s goals of long-term Sri Lankan leopard conservation throughout its range.
Some important monitoring locations were revived along the Peak Ridge Forest Corridor (PRFC), particularly at the north-western end which had been neglected since the intensive harvest of the area’s Eucalyptus plantations in 2022. This harvest – and replanting of new stock - is an important part of the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) economic plans and is something that was agreed upon during the initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that underpins PRFC’s protection. As evidenced by the high number and frequency of leopard’s that are captured on these renewed camera locations, the wildlife seems to take this harvest in stride. The Elbedda Ridge Corridor (ERC) to the north-east continues to show higher usage than the PRFC – which itself is well utilized by long-term resident leopards – and in 2024 saw numerous cubs on the landscape. This observed long-term residency, high levels of reproduction and what appears to be a reasonable level of recruitment, are all aspects of the population that are only possible to understand through the long-term monitoring here that WWCT has been engaged in since 2016.
An essential component of WWCT’s Corridors for Conservation initiative is to expand the blueprint from PRFC and ERC to other areas of the Central Highlands. The initial phases of this expansion were implemented in 2024 with the initiation of camera surveys in the Peradeniya-Hantane-Galaha region of the northern Central Highlands, in collaboration with the University of Peradeniya. This is the main northern terminus of the envisioned corridors in the region and early indications are promising with much more still to come.
WWCT also initiated new remote camera surveys in the Victoria-Randenigala-Rantambe (VRR) Sanctuary in 2024, in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). This came on the heels of the rescue, rehabilitation, relocation, release and monitoring of a snared leopard in 2023. VRR represents another northern terminus, connected to the Central Highlands by a steady downward slope.
Yala buffer observations were concerning, the slash-and-burn (“chena”) landscape, had no leopard observations at what used to be a reliable camera. The general downward trend in the number of individuals captured here is also of concern and will be brought up with Park authorities. Small cat and bear observations were also substantially lower in 2024 than in recent years, not only in the “chena” landscape. Whether these changes are temporary and whether they are influenced by weather patterns (2024 was a wet year), prey cycles, or the increasing human footprint in the buffer, is not clear.
Sigiriya and Gal Oya patch forest sites were also monitored. In Sigiriya, increased resident leopard activity in Dehigahaela (due to cubs) was somewhat offset by another year without leopard presence detected in Pidurangala. In the unprotected Gal Oya landscape east of the NP, fishing cat activity was higher than leopard activity (although presence was confirmed), but perhaps partly due to a denser camera grid.
Island-wide, the death toll (8) of leopards confirmed to be killed by people remained consistent but 3 resident leopards monitored by WWCT on PRFC and ERC, were among those deaths. This is despite ongoing awareness programs in the field and classroom, a-nd increased resources for the Forest Guardians. WWCT ramped up its anti-snare program as a result, with reprints of posters and pamphlets and a more concerted and collaborative snare removal program put in place. Already >30 snares have been removed.
Although we remain hopeful about the broader picture, we were dispirited by the ongoing snaring incidents, especially the loss of 3 animals that had become very familiar. The past year marked the 20th anniversary of WWCT’s existence and this was marked in a modest way, but there remains far too much to do to celebrate too much yet.