TERN (Tropical Ecosystem Research Network)

25/07/2026

Choosing the Right Path 🐆

What does the future of Sri Lanka's leopard look like?
It starts with science.

The WNPS–LOLC Multi-Regional Leopard Research & Conservation Project is building one of the country's most comprehensive long-term studies of leopards living outside protected areas—where conservation and communities must succeed together.

As Prof. Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz explains,
"It's very unique where you have dry ecosystems, but it is easy to find water... This boosts productivity and the carrying capacity for big animals."

Sri Lanka remains one of the world's most important landscapes for leopard conservation—but protecting that future means understanding not only the leopard, but also the people who share its habitat.

"This is why it's critical to think about what kind of future we want."
"This is where everybody needs to come together. Right now we are at a crossroads."

Together, WNPS and LOLC are investing in long-term science that helps transform conflict into coexistence and knowledge into conservation.

Featured in today's Daily Mirror
https://www.dailymirror.lk/news-features/Choosing-the-right-path-to-allow-humans-to-coexist-with-the-Sri-Lankan-leopard/131-346386