People and Leopards:

A case study from Tourism

- BY GEHAN DE SILVA WIJEYERATNE

In this article, I would like to consider a few aspects of the evolving and complex relationships between people and leopards, particularly in connection with the tourism industry.

Let me begin however with an insight into the role tourism played in changing the public perception of leopards from a position of simply being unaware (or even indifferent) to seeing them as an icon for Sri Lanka.

Roll the clock back to 2001. I had been summoned to see the 'Chairman'. He sat across a large wooden table in his office and asked me if it was true that I had agreed with his son that we will host three leopard researchers at the then Yala Safari Game Beach Hotel. When I confirmed this was true, he asked me in astonishment if I was aware of how much it would cost to provide two rooms and three meals a day for over a year. I replied that it would be worth the cost as Sri Lanka would now gain access to international publicity through film crews, which was not happening then, especially so as the country only made the international news due its civil conflict with the LTTE. 'How long would it take for the first film crews to arrive?' he asked. I replied it could be two years as it takes time for a credible story to be built around research. I was with the late Herbert Cooray, the then Chair of the Jetwing family of companies. He had appointed his son Hiran to be the Managing Director of Jetwing Hotels when Hiran was still in his twenties and operated on the basis that his son had to learn from the wins and losses of his decisions. With a sigh and not looking too convinced of the plan, he waved me off.