A leopard sighting of epic proportions on safari and more in Sri Lanka
Set within the Yala National Park, a stay at Hilton Yala Resort means flirting with danger each time you step out of your villa. Here’s why it’s worth it.
“If there’s no risk of danger, it’s not an adventure,” he said with a grin.
Well, that certainly got my attention.
Head Ranger Sajith Withanage was briefing us upon arrival on what to expect – and how to stay safe – during our four-day stay at Hilton Yala Resort, the brand’s third property in Sri Lanka.
Not all Hiltons are made equal, you see. This one is set within the Yala National Park, a wildlife sanctuary spanning 130,000 hectares of protected land located about 260km southeast of Colombo.
This is leopard country, where the leopard population is reportedly higher than anywhere else on the planet – and there is absolutely nothing separating the resort from these and other savage beasts. No walls, no fences, no enclosures. The animals can wander onto the property at any time, day or night.
This is why the 43-room resort does not offer in-room dining – so as to not proffer more reason to lure said creatures of the wild here.
It’s also why we were strictly cautioned against walking around the estate after sundown without a personal escort in the form of a staff member or a buggy to ferry us to any of the three dining venues on the property for our meals.
“It’s important to know they are the [land] owners and we are the visitors,” continued Withanage, a Field Guides Association of Southern Africa-certified trainer and safari guide who was based in South Africa before returning to Sri Lanka during the pandemic of 2020.
Once, we are told, a panthera pardus kotiya, the majestic leopard endemic to Sri Lanka, was spotted by Hilton staff casually basking on a metamorphic rock outside the spa when the resort was still under construction several months ago.
Any sightings since the resort officially opened in October?
Nay, but it’s pretty much open season everyday here and a stay at Hilton Yala means flirting with danger each time you step out of your room, suite or villa. A hushed aura fell over the group and I wondered if anyone else was as secretly thrilled at this perilous proposition.
It took us five hours to get here by car from the capital, and there is also the option of transferring via seaplane from Colombo city or its airport. The latter takes just half an hour plus a 20-minute car ride from the nearby lake where the plane lands.
According to Hilton personnel, the company is in talks with nearby Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and once the agreement is inked, direct flights from Singapore can begin. This will dramatically reduce domestic travelling time to just an hour from Mattala.
Either way, the jaunt was well worth it.
PROTECTING LOCAL HABITATS AND BIODIVERSITY
Yala was first designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1900 and later a national park in 1938. Somewhat ironically, the park was initially used as a hunting ground for the elite when the country was under British rule. But that has all changed, of course, and conservation efforts to protect the 44 varieties of mammal and 215 bird species that call Yala home remain the core focus of the park today.
There is, for example, an on-site animal research programme supported by microgrant funding from the Hilton Global Foundation to help the rangers better understand and protect indigenous species.
The programme equips the rangers with the latest wildlife information, technology, and necessary tools such as solar-powered weather sensors and night vision binoculars to monitor wildlife in and near the resort, and the research is conducted in collaboration with local conservation groups including the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society, Yala Leopard Diary and the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust to collectively further local conservation efforts.
A natural extension of its environmental sustainability and awareness programmes, the resort offers an elevated and environmentally responsible safari experience via twice-daily game drives.
AN EPIC LEOPARD SIGHTING
“Leopards are highly opportunistic – they prey just for fun,” remarked Sam, short for Sameera, the Hilton ranger assigned to our split-level Jeep as we headed towards Block 1 (there are five) of the Yala National Park for our first-ever safari experience.
Our mission?
To see the panthera pardus kotiya in its natural habitat, of course.
“If we see one in five minutes, we can go back,” Sam joked.
Yala is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka, and its semi-arid landscape consists of vast expanses of open terrain carpeted with grasslands, shrubs, lagoons and sand dunes. The best time to visit is between February and July when the water levels are quite low, as this apparently brings the animals into the open.
Five minutes in, we caught sight of a plethora of peacock (they proliferate in abundance here, with no natural predators), storks wading in a lagoon, a crocodile basking at the water’s edge, an elephant in the far distance, and a water buffalo semi-submerged on this lazy afternoon.
Well, I guess we’re continuing on this safari until we accomplish our mission. Or till the park closes at 6pm, at least.
We encountered herds of spotted deer grazing as well as gray langur monkeys perched in trees who, as if on cue, turned their backs to our phones, signalling their distaste for the unwelcome intrusion of technology.
This is so diametrically opposed to the behaviour of their primate cousins in popular holiday destinations like Thailand, for instance, where the monkeys have notoriously skilled themselves in the non-verbal art of negotiating for, or outright thieving of, food as an egregious consequence of overtourism.
Now the presence of deers and monkeys, however, is not a good harbinger that a leopard sighting is imminent. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, said Sam. He explained how, in this delicate yet well-established ecosystem, such preys have (almost) perfectly honed instincts to detect if their would-be killers are in the vicinity.
Watching a David Attenborough documentary is one thing, but to see Darwin’s theory potentially play out in the flesh is something else altogether. It gives you a much deeper understanding of nature, and a greater appreciation and respect for the natural world. To this end, I was privately hoping we might be so lucky as to witness panthera pardus kotiya savagely secure its dinner this fateful day.
It was not long before we had our fill of deer and monkeys, and suddenly, the safari Gods answered our prayers. Our driver got a call from a colleague: A leopard was spotted in a different location within Block 1.
We raced over to find a mob of vehicles, some already leaving. Still, hope prevailed through the initial dismay and a scene so surreal unfolded as if in slow motion.
The Jumanji theme song played in my head as those familiar yellow and black rosettes moved stealthily under the cover of the undergrowth.
Slowly, she emerged from the lush, thick jungle and stood there in full glory, allowing us to behold every inch of her majesty upon the golden hour. She then turned and looked straight at my phone before deciding to saunter across the dirt road directly in front of our vehicle; the distinct swagger of an apex predator palpable each time her paw graced the earth.
It was a stroll curious in its unhurriedness. She turned back once, and then a second time, and eventually took a seat.
Ah. She was waiting for something.
I looked back from where she came and saw the cutest little cub hesitant to follow in her stride. After a few tentative paces, it eventually pounced across the road, eager to rid itself of watchful human eyes and join its mama.
It does not get more epic than this.
IT’S IN THE STARS
Back at the resort, we celebrated a successful safari experience with cocktails on the beach at Lanthaaruma, a bespoke dining area set between the lush jungle and the lapping waves of the Indian Ocean on the horizon at dusk.
With a beer in hand, sand underfoot and adrenaline still pumping through my veins, I looked up towards the star-spritzed sky and caught sight of a shooting star.
Sometimes, a split-second is all you need for a stroke of serendipity.