[Vila = lake]
Ruk Vila 3:4 female was first seen and photographed in August 2010, close to Buthawa Junction. In March 2012, she was seen with a female cub in Buthawa Spill Road. She was then seen around Ruk Vila and Patanangala.
In 2015, she was seen on Padikema with her two cubs. Her 2015 litter were the Ruk Vila 3:2 male and the Ruk Vila 2:2 male who was often seen around Meynert Wewa. In 2017, she had another litter of two cubs (Third known litter). The cubs were spotted but no photographic evidence exists of that litter.
By early 2018, she lost almost half of her tail. Reason is yet unknown.
In November 2018, she was seen with her fourth known litter of a single male cub around Patanangala and Padikema. That cub grew up to be the brave Padikema 3:3 male.
Since May 2020 (During the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19), we received news about three young cubs at Ruk Vila. From June 2020 onwards they made a few appearances (Two male cubs and one female cub on this occasion). This is the fifth known litter of Ruk Vila 3:4 female. Unfortunately by the end of 2020 none of the cubs were seen indicating their untimely death.
In 2021, the experienced RukVila female was seen with her sixth litter, consisting of two cubs who were later named as Beach Road 1:1 Female and Beach Road 4:3 Male. In October 2021, a male cub (Karawgas Wala 3:3 Male) from the Rathmal Wala 4:4 Female‘s 2021 litter, whose mother had gone missing, appeared in RukVila Female’s territory. RukVila Female, with a grace and strength honed over years of survival, did the unthinkable. She welcomed the orphaned cub, older and larger than her own, into her fold. This act of unprecedented compassion saw her nurturing three young lives, a testament to the extraordinary bonds that can form in the wild. It was an unusual but fascinating behavior, as she nurtured all three cubs within her territory.
Since early 2023 RukVila female has not been seen suggesting she is no more. (And at the same time Kudaseelawa female’s sightings have been more frequent in the area)
Yala Leopard Diary Database – https://yalaleoparddiary.com/identified-leopard-result/YF15 https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=oa.135765090446347&type
