28/2/17 pm
Our second national park trip, this time in Yala, started at 1.30 in a rough looking vehicle. After 4 hours on rutted ground I can confirm it had little or no suspension. .Ouch my poor back. At least we didn't have to push start in (Jackie & Richard had that experience in Yala).
They say no pain no gain! It's a much bigger park so longer stretches of potholes between points of interest. However overall we did very well. Only a few mass gatherings of jeeps and plenty of wildlife. Highlights were leopards one pretty difficult to see lying on the horizontal branch of a tree some yards away. Binoculars were helpful although once our eyes focused in we could just see it with naked eye. Later we spotted a couple of jeeps by a rock off the main track. Joining them we were just in time to see a leopard strutting his stuff along the top of this large rock before taking shelter under a large boulder on the top. We continued watching his swishing tail and the occasional stretched out leg for quite a while but he wasn't budging. We had got a very clear view of him before he hid away.
Sightings of leopards is fairly rare so we were very pleased to see two. No sloth bears though...again they are there but rarely seen.
A few elephants but not as many as in Uda Walawe but that was expected. Two large solo males. A mother and baby too.
Lots of wild buffalo. ..bigger than the domestic sort we saw yesterday.
Wild boar. Samba deer (small group in bushes). Large herds of white spotted deer.
A few mongoose. .One having a narrow escape as an eagle swooped to catch him...He accelerated to safety.
A few Hare. Land monitors. Crocodiles.
Good variety of birds including a good few eagles, toucans, minor birds, pea fowl, jungle fowl, herons, Woolly necked adjutant, egrets, painted stork, pelican, bee catchers, Kingfisher, brahminy kite, stilts, hornbills.
No picturesque mountains but the sea and beach gives the park a good southern perimeter. Stopping for a comfort break we saw the ruins of a bungalow destroyed by the tsunami in 2004. About 45 tourists killled there as they had their packed breakfast.
Great experience but I think D will be going solo for the 5.30 repeat tomorrow. My back is giving out signals it's done enough off road work.
Roof top bar gives a view of the hotels waterhole with buffalo and Crocodiles. Grey Langer monkeys scampering around the railings gave me a start as it was getting dark.
Eating in the patially open air al la carte restaurant tonight as can't cope with busy buffet. Escorts required to and from room in case of wild beasties. .escorts are armed. .with torches!
PS Internet is reasonable here so have updated the slow train to Ella blog and yesterday's blog with more pictures.
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