Geoff Hall
Executive Vice President
Living Collections
Phoenix Zoo
NATURE has once again proven to be the premier natural history series on television, bar none, with its latest documentary: “Leopards of Yala.” This film centers on a Scottish videographer who travels to Sri Lanka to document the elusive leopards of Yala National Park. With the aid of several Singhalese leopard enthusiasts, he tracks down the most successful predator in this beautiful ecosystem by using a mix of technology and patience. Leopards are certainly animals of the night and this film offers the first look at Yala’s leopards in their nocturnal kingdom through the use of night vision technology.
Yala National Park is home to the largest congregation of spotted leopards in Sri Lanka. These secretive cats have been persecuted by people throughout their range of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and much of Asia. The population of leopards from Sri Lanka is considered an endangered subspecies due to poaching for their pelts and bones. Sri Lankan leopards are unique among the other subspecies of leopards due to their placement on the food chain. Unlike leopards of Africa and mainland Asia, these leopards don’t compete against lions or tigers and have become the ultimate predator of the island of Sri Lanka. These leopards have evolved into larger animals than their mainland relatives and have become more social towards others of their own kind.
This film offers wonderful views of what is perhaps one of the most unique ecosystems in the world. Yala National Park rests on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka and consists of dry scrub forests punctuated with large wind sculptured boulders. Within the park’s boundaries lives several interesting species including large herds of chital (spotted deer) which make up the majority of the leopards’ diet in Yala. The competition for food is fierce here with sloth bears and mugger crocodiles vying for every morsel of food against the leopards. A remarkable piece of natural history is filmed here when two leopards try unsuccessfully to defend their carcass from an unending barrage of mugger crocodiles.
Kudos to NATURE for bringing the beauty and wonders of the natural world into our living rooms every week. Never has a natural history series taken so many people to places most of us will never travel to but still want to explore. NATURE continues to inspire many to appreciate and care for our natural world through exploration and understanding. “Leopards of Yala” is certainly a must-watch documentary!
Nature "Leopards of Yala"airs Saturday, August 27 at 6 p.m. on Channel 8.
