ALT Witnessed a breathtaking moment at Kumana Wewa! Iconic Female Leopard at Kumana Wewa, Kumana National Park Sri Lanka. Never mind the number of trips you make to a national park. As soon as you enter through the gates, you instinctively take in the terrain afresh, marveling at the beauty because you are enamored and smitten. We photographers often dream of unique frames, the image set in your favorite spots, and your subject well composed. The yearning for a special frame is what draws us to the parks repeatedly. I thought I grabbed one with this image. Her sleek form contrasted against the azure sky, creating a mesmerizing tableau, looking directly into the camera, and lying on my favorite rock at Kumana Wewa. The early morning light could have been better. She’s quietly moved away from her cubs and was seen with the male whose territory overlaps hers. Likely, they’d mate again.

ALT Profile of an indomitable female Leopard (YM12), basking in the morning sun. DOP December 2021 She’s one of those ladies, who’s pretty confident, has survived long enough to know a thing or two about survival and bringing up cubs. The image doesn’t do justice to an amazing December morning, warm and bright at Khomba Khema, Yala National Park. When we arrived at the famous outcrop, she looked fidgety, and was about to slip into the thicket behind her. The stretch, yawn, and a pause on her haunches, familiar signs before she gave us the slip, affording us a few precious seconds to grab a couple of frames. Kohomba Khema is unique. There is a natural pool of water and hence, drinks are close at hand. She has made this place her own and has been a proud and a wonderful mother. I particularly like the way she handled her last litter of three; two males and a female. They are on their own now. Bring up three cubs is no easy task. Feeding and protecting them is a formidable task.

ALT Whiskers and Rosettes. Subadult male leopard at Yala National Park Sri Lanka This is the 2nd of the 3 portraits I was planning to present. #photo of this #leopard was captured in April 2021 when he was stepping into a life on his own. The world was at a standstill as far as he was concerned. He chose a rocky outcrop called Khomba (Neem tree) Kema to lounge until the arrival of dusk, and the promise of food. Looking for paws and pugmarks of leopards is an art in itself, and we are often drawn to Parks to test our hunter gatherer instincts . Pugmarks if made on the sandy gravel, are easily detected, and are a sure-fire clue that could lead to a #cat. Trackers use these telltale marks to pick up their presence and direction of movement. Once tracked they have more tips and tricks You’d probably know that they have unique rosette patterns, that can be used to identify them, meaning no two leopards share the same spot pattern.

ALT She's pretty and thinks she’s “cat's whiskers”! Being fascinated with her whiskers, I made a deliberate attempt to capture them in fine detail. Whiskers are specialized sensory hairs that are rooted deep in a cat's skin and are connected to nerve endings, providing them with valuable information about their surroundings. You can read their mood based on how they appear. If they are stressed, the whiskers fall back. When they are interested, perked, or alert, they fan out. . They're also known as vibrissae, carry various sensory stimuli to the nerve endings located at their base. They serve as a specialized tactile sensory system for cats and other felids. Whiskers can detect subtle changes in air currents, vibrations, and the texture of objects. They provide information about the size, shape, and movement of objects in the cat's immediate environment, helping them navigate in low-light conditions, judge distances,

ALT The #leopard queen of Kurruttupandi, Wilpattu #NationalPark, Sri Lanka! She was ahead of us patrolling her territory when we sighted her. Momentarily, she sat on her haunches and started to concentrate her left and we realized that she was waiting for her cub to return to her. More at Wildernesstrails #animalsaddict #leopards #animalart #bigcats #bigcatconservation #exclusive_wildlife #instafoto #wildlifeofinstagram #leopardsofinstagram #bigcatsofinstagram