Yala safaris: endangering the leopards?
Anarchic behaviour by tourists and drivers desperate to glimpse big game at the Yala National Park has created dangers for the wildlife and the ecology of wilderness. BBC’s Charles Haviland reported of the ecological damage caused by safaris at the Yala National Park. Conservatives say safari vehicles are flagrantly breaking speed limits and that marauding behaviour by drivers and tourists is grossly insensitive to fauna and flora. Jeep drivers travel at speeds up to 100 kph, in order to sight the elusive leopard- the only big cat found on the island. Bottles and dung are thrown into bushes to entice the animals out, which has led to widespread littering. Jeep “jams” caused by the frenzied use of mobile phones to spread the word about a wildlife sighting is also a common site in Yala. Four months ago a female leopard cub was killed in Yala by a hit-and-run driver. It is reported that on some days 500-600 vehicles enter Yala every day. Manori Gunawardena, a wildlife biologist living near Yala, says “leopard-centric marketing” is to blame. “It’s become a status thing – everyone wants to put the leopard shot on Facebook.”
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This has been problem for a while now and wildlife volunteers and organisations are trying their best to limit if not stop to YALA safaris. Kotiya is an animal who endangered because of loosing it’s habitat. Im glad TNL decided to post this on FB so lot of people can see. Great work
I think the problem lies with controls and the people in charge. Having a leopard safari is not the problem here… Natural resources are the wealth of a country and for a country like Sri Lanka, tourism can bring a lot of benefits if it’s done in a sustainable manner. As someone in the corporate world dealing with wildlife excursions, I think all large and small organizations alike should put pressure on the government in bringing in a limit of jeeps entering the park each day. Further, drivers and trackers should be given proper training and guidance and made to understand that protecting these animals will only mean that the natural resources could be sustained for a longer period – without really killing the goose that lays the golden egg.