The Wild Life

I think I may need to center more of my holidays around spotting elusive and endangered animals.

We visited Yala National Park in the southeast corner of Sri Lanka to spot us some wildlife and that we did. This event was the most anticipated of the trip and did not disappoint. Rising at 4:30 for breakfast, we were on the road by 5:00 for a dawn arrival. At the park entrance we were due to pick up a tracker but the government failed to provide despite having already paid. Fortunately, we had Tammy and she took over the tracker seat (mostly due to car sickness). On a bladder emptying mission shortly prrior to take off, I crossed paths with a wild boar. We were to see many more.

Animals are most active at dawn and dusk because it's too damn hot to do anything in the middle of day. Slated for a full day of animal spotting we spent the morning racing around the park in a Range Rover (thank you British engineering) along with a bunch of other people doing the same. Before lunch I had stared down a leopard and a wild elephant. At least I think I won because no one tried to eat me. Fortunately, my camera battery died which freed me to actually look at the animals rather than getting that perfect shot. But no worries, we had Tammy, the ever trusty James and three Aussies snapping shots with promises to e-mail the results.

We spotted a leopard (get it?) early in the day maybe 4 meters off the road. There are only 35 in the park so not a common sighting. With elephants numbering around 250 we first came across a young male. He walked up to the truck and was close enough for me to touch. I just looked him in the eye and showed no fear (and made sure none of my body parts were hanging out), we exchanged an understanding and he meandered along. Afterward, the slightly agitated driver betrayed the danger of interacting with wild elephants. Apparently they trample when feeling threatening. Sri Lankan brush with death #46.

Numerous other elephants sightings privyed us to such ritual as the tear/stomp/tear method of eating, the twirl/rip water lily method of eating, and a close up of the throw dirt on back cooling ritual. There are some good pics of this one. Not to be forgotten, those prehistoric creatures, the crocodile was to be found around many a watering hole. I counted over 20 at one particular oasis. The masters of the staring contest wild boar traveled in packs, groupings of spotted deer I once mistook for a leopard, the lone mongoose, brilliant peacocks in this dusty environ (who knew they could fly), loads of beautiful birds with terrible names, the skittery hare, and snake suspected to be a cobra but unconfirmed. We only missed the sloth bear. Too slow I guess. It was A-mazing. I'm ready for Africa.

My final wildlife experience came the day we left. Bussing up the coast to Colombo to catch our flight out I really wanted to stop at the turtle hatchery. I geeked out and asked tons of sciency questions. There are greenback, olive ridley, hawksbill and leatherback turtles that nest off the coast of Sril Lanka. Apparently turtle omelets are a tasty treat among the locals having the expected detrimental effects on the turtle population. Some hatcheries have popped up and pay above market value for the eggs then grow them in their turtle garden to be released under the cover of night, lest one be picked off by a ravenous crow or eagle. We held two day old turtles, met Stevie the blind tsunami survivor and scratched the back end of an albino turtle. With our hosts, two English volunteers, we dug down to check the progress of turtles planted on May 23rd. Turns out they were breaking free of their shells and clamoring to the surface. Instinctively, they knew the direction of the ocean and started making their way. Almost as quickly, the predators began to circle. We plopped them into a bucket and waited 4 hours until sundown then released them on the beach. Forty odd baby turtles smaller than the palm of my hand scurrying into the turbulent surf was very cute and very funny as they were tossed about but undeterred.

I like animals.