DFCC Bank Highlights Role of Sri Lanka’s Leopard in Sustaining Forests and Biodiversity

The Sri Lankan leopard rarely announces itself. Moving silently through forests, it is more often felt than seen. As the island’s apex predator, it regulates prey populations and maintains ecosystems that support forests, water systems, biodiversity, and human life. Its disappearance sends ripples through the environment.

DFCC Bank PLC recently hosted an evening titled “When the Wild Speaks, Will We Listen?” at its Head Office, spotlighting the elusive leopard and the fragile ecosystems it sustains. Conservationists, wildlife storytellers, scientists, and guests explored what it means to protect the wild in a country where human and natural worlds increasingly overlap.

Partnering with the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT), DFCC Bank supports science-based efforts to safeguard the leopard and its habitats. Protecting the leopard ensures the survival of surrounding ecosystems. Panthera pardus kotiya, the island’s only large terrestrial predator, signals a functioning ecosystem where prey and forests remain balanced.

Pressures on leopards are growing. Forest corridors fragment, snares set for bushmeat trap them unintentionally, and expanding settlements bring wildlife into conflict with humans. These pressures threaten environmental systems that underpin agriculture, water security, and climate resilience.

Senaka Kotagama, renowned tea taster and wildlife photographer, shared rare images of melanistic leopards, capturing fleeting moments that testify to the ecosystem’s resilience. Conservationists Anjali Watson and Dr. Andrew Kittle emphasized that coexistence is vital; many leopard deaths result from snares or human-wildlife conflict. Protecting wildlife is also about engaging communities.

As guests viewed Kotagama’s exhibition, each photograph reminded them that while rarity is beautiful, it is also a warning. Sri Lanka’s leopard still roams its forests. The question is whether we are ready to listen.