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.

Distribution and habitat

Sri Lankan leopards have historically been found in all habitats throughout the island. These habitat types can be broadly categorized into:

Leopards have been observed in dry evergreen monsoon forest, arid scrub jungle, low and upper highland forest, rainforest, and wet zone intermediate forests(1)

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 sizeable coastal plains and permanent man-made and natural waterholes, which combined allow for a very high density of prey species.

The Wilpattu National Park is also known as a good place to watch leopards and currently a study is ongoing here conducted by The Leopard Project of The Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT).

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 leopards are the apex predators they don't need to protect their prey.

The Sri Lankan leopard is the country's top predator. 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

The Sri Lankan leopard hunts like other leopards, 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.

There appears to be no birth season or peak, with births scattered across months. A litter usually consists of 2 cubs.

Conservation

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 in direct human-leopard related leopard deaths.

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.

The EEP breeding program is managed by Zoo Cerza, France.

Local names

The leopard is colloquially known as kotiya (කොටියා) in Sinhala and chiruthai (சிறுத்தை) in Tamil.

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 leopard and not to tiger.

As a symbol

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 as Tamil Eelam national football team which plays on ConIFA has the Sri Lankan leopard on their emblem.