My overall aim was to try for these two cats with the additional bonus of multiple bats and there species that have been regularly seen and reported in other trip reports. In 4 nights we saw all 4 cat species found in Sri Lanka (Fishing,Jungle,Rusty Spotted and Leopard) and recorded 41 mammal species.

Fishing cat was seen on the first night in Sigiriya with two different animals in distinctly different locations.One fled almost immediately and the other crossed the road twice which allowed me to take a very shaky video for a few brief seconds.The third sighting was on a night drive outside Wilpattu National Park, a large adult walking across a marsh area. The Rusty Spotted cats appeared on the last night in Sigiriya, a large adult walking away from the road into scrub and a juvenile sitting on the road. Both moved away quickly but allowed for clear views. The jungle cat was seen once in Sigiriya and once in Wilpattu on night drives. The leopard was seen on the last afternoon drive in Wilpattu.

The trip of course is built around the local knowledge of the best sites provided by the Bird and Wildlife Team and the expert spotting and identification skills of my guide (Diluksha). So it is possible, within a very short period of time to see these elusive cats. The key was becoming nocturnal with night drives starting at 10 or 11 pm and ending at 5am. Sleeping through to lunchtime and then going out in the late afternoon to a number of bat roosts which ensure that the spotting tally keeps going up. The accommodation at Sigiriya was very good but a bit commercialized for my liking and always felt I had to change out of my camo gear before eating in the massive dining hall. The tented camp at Wilpattu was perfect (only 4 safari type tents) and right on the edge of the park, so wildlife is your only neighbour.

• The Bird and Wildlife Team www.birdandwildlifeteam.com
• www.wilpattusafaricamp.com

Itinerary
13 April     Late afternoon pick‐up from Colombo arriving at Sigiriya. Night drive from 11 pm to 5am.
14 April     Slept during the morning, afternoon looking for bats and night drive 11pm to 5am in Sigiriya.
15 April      Afternoon walk and drive and then night drive from 10 pm to 4 am in Sigiriya.
16 April      Early afternoon departure to Wilpattu National park, afternoon and night drive until 1am.
17 April      Late morning and afternoon drive in Wilpattu. Depart to airport.

MAMMAL SEEN

1  Indian Hare Lepus nigricollis	Several animals seen on each night drive in Sigiriya
2  Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura	Seen in hotel grounds in Sigiriya and Wilpattu
3  Indian Palm Squirrel Funambulus palmarum	Seen in hotel grounds in Sigiriya and Wilpattu
4  Little Indian Field Mouse Mus booduga	Seen in Wilpattu
5  Asiatic Long‐tailed Climbing Mouse Vandeleuria oleracea	One or two seen each evening while spotlighting  around Sigiriya
6  Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus	One seen crossing the road in Sigiriya
7  Indian Gerbil Tatera indica	Several animals crossing the road in Sigiriya
8  Indian Crested Porcupine Hystrix indica	Very brief sighting by the side of the road whilst  spotlighting in Sigiriya
9  Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica	Seen several times while spotlighting around  Sigiriya
10  Asian Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus	One recorded on night drives around Sigiriya
11  Sri Lankan Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus montanus	Good views on the first night in Sigiriya
12  Jungle Cat Felis chaus	Seen one night in Sigiriya and outside Wilpattu on a  night drive
13  Rusty‐spotted Cat Felis rubiginosa	Two different animals (adult and juvenile). Very  quick views of a large adult moving into scrub from  5 meters away and a juvenile sitting in the middle  of the road before running into the roadside vegetation (10 m)
14  Fishing Cat Felis viverrina	First  night  two  different  animals.  Brief  but  clear  views of one large adult sitting at 10 meters but  ran  as  I  reached  for  my  camera  and  another  crossing  the  road S at a  range  of  5 meters. Also  seen on the final night in a field outside Wilpattu
15  Leopard Panthera pardus	After several attempts a beautiful animal seen in  the late afternoon which seems to be the best time  in Wilpattu National Park
16  Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsii	One crossed the road on the way out of Sigiriya
17  Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes smithii	Small family group seen in Wilapattu
18  Golden Jackal Canis aureus	A pair seen a couple of consecutive nights while  Spotlighting in Sigiriya
19  Greater Short‐nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx	One seen on night drive around Sigiriya
20  Long‐winged Tomb Bat Taphozous longimanus	Three animals seen roosting in rocky crevice at  Buddhist temple near Sigiriya
21  Lesser False Vampire Bat Magaderma spasma	A few seen in abandoned buildings in Sigiriya
22  Indian Woolly Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus beddomei	Found roosting in several abandoned buildings and  Caves around Sigiriya.
23  Rufous Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus rouxii	Found roosting in several buildings around Sigirya
24  Dusky Roundleaf Bat Hipposideros ater	Several seen around Sigiriya
25  Fulvous Roundleaf Bat Hipposideros fulvus	Several seen around Sigiriya
26  Dekhan Roundleaf Bat Hipposideros galeritus	Found roosting in several abandoned buildings  Around Sigiriya
27  Schneider’s Roundleaf Bat Hipposideros speoris	Found roosting in several abandoned buildings  Around Sigiriya
28  Indian Pipistrelle Pipistrellus coromandra	Common in Sigiriya
29  Least Pipistrelle Pipistrellus tenuis	Several seen in Sigiriya
30  Brown (Hasselt’s) Myotis Myotis hasseltii	Commonly seen hunting over water in Sigiriya
31  Sloth bear Melursus ursinus	One feeding in a tree in Wilapattu during the  afternoon
32  Grey Slender Loris Loris lydekkerianus	One spotted at the arboretum in Sigiriya and on the  Night drive outside Wilpattu
33  Toque Macaque Macaca sinica	Common in Sigiriya
34  Tufted Grey Langur Semnopithecus priam	Common in Sigiriya and Wilpattu
35  Asian elephant Elephas maximus	One individual seen in Wilpattu
36  Sambar deer   Cervus unicolor	Seen in Wilpattu
37  Red Muntjak Muntiacus muntjak	Seen in Wilpattu
38  Eurasian Wild Boar Sus scrofa	Seen in Wilpattu
39  Sri Lankan White‐striped Chevrotain Moschiola meminna	Seen at the arboretum and on the roads around  Sigiriya
40  Chital  Axis  axis	Several herds seen in Sigiriya and Wilpattu
41  Wild water buffalo Bulbalus arnee	Seen in Wilpattu