Leopard or panthers are possibly the most beautiful of large cats, found across Africa and Asia.

Though smaller than tigers, the Sri Lanka leopard is the largest to be found, if you can find it, as for the most part in Wilpattu, they can easily hide away in the scrub.

We were lucky enough to find the dominant male sleeping away the hot afternoon next to water.

It was not the closest sighting, but still wonderful.

For such remarkable creatures, they are shockingly difficult to spot without expert guides.

You know they’re somewhere in the undergrowth, within metres of you, possibly, but still until they move, or unless you get very lucky, viewings are always on their own terms.

And all around us, whilst we wait for the leopard to pose, the life of the other animals continues.