Makini Bush Camp Blog

Leopards are one of the most majestic and mysterious animals in the world. They are known for their distinctive coats, which are covered in rosettes, and their powerful muscles, which allow them to roam across vast distances. Despite their beauty and strength, however, leopards are often misunderstood and misrepresented in popular culture. In this blog post, we will explore some of the behaviors of leopards in the wild and learn why these animals are so important to the ecosystem. One of the most striking features of leopards is their coat. The rosettes on a leopard's coat are used for camouflage, helping them blend in with their surroundings and sneak up on their prey. However, the color of a leopard's coat can vary widely depending on where they live. Leopards living in forests or jungles tend to have darker, more densely patterned coats, while those living in open grasslands or deserts may have lighter, more sparsely patterned coats. Leopards are solitary animals and are kno...

The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, that's native to Sri Lanka. They're spread across almost every part of the country from the dry low lands to mountains and rainforests. Though they live all over the island, Minneriya, Kaudulla and Udawalawa national parks give ample opportunities to see and photograph Sri Lankan Elephants in large herds. Elephants eat almost every part of the tree and have a particular interest in aquatic plants like Lotus and Water Lillies. They eat up to 150-200 kilograms of vegetation every day. Sri Lankan Elephants are considered as the most intelligent elephant variety. They have 90% of the brain developed when they are born and can adapt to any environment in no time. Elephants, in general, are known to be led by the matriarch because the eldest (female) elephant, the most experienced one in a herd knows where to find water at different times of the year. However, if you take Sr...

Last year Sri Lanka was recognized as the  “Best Safari Destination Outside of Africa”  by Forbes. At a time countries gradually lifting lockdowns and travelers eagerly searching for their first post-corona destination, we hope all wildlife and nature lovers will find this post timely and useful. In Africa, 'Big 5' means the animals that are most aggressive and difficult to hunt on foot, even though many think that it means the animals that are the highest in demand by visitors. Sri Lanka has it’s own 'Big 5' however, unlike in Africa the animals were chosen purely based on the popularity and demand by local and foreign visitors and it consists of both land and sea mammals. Namely, Sri Lanka’s Big5 is the Sri Lankan leopard, Sri Lankan elephant, Sri Lankan sloth bear, the blue whale, and the sperm whale. It’s truly miraculous that a small island paradise like Sri Lanka with an area of just over 65000 km² able to home the world's largest land and sea mammal...