Rajiv Welikala

Love in Yala
A mating pair of leopards seen at Yala. A very rare and unique wildlife moment.

Mortal Enemies
Lions and Spotted Hyena are mortal enemies who are at constant conflict with each other. This photograph is special that both these predators are in one frame, close to each other and completely ignoring each other. The amazing golden backlight brings out the dramatic effect of this picture.

Mud Bath
This sloth bear was having a great time bathing himself in the muddy waters of a waterhole during the height of the dry season in Yala. An almost human-like action, sloth bears are quite entertaining to quietly observe and watch.

Forest Eagle Owl - Wilpattu
The devil bird of 
Sri Lanka. Very few see this rare owl in the wild. I was blessed to not only see one, but on the white sands of Wilpattu out in the open.

Serendib Scops Owls - Sinharaja
A moment forever etched in my memory. These two young chicks were perched on a branch by the roadside of a remote road bordering the rainforest. I waited hours for a special moment and it happened when one of the chicks rested its head on the others side. A very intimate and emotional moment.

We feature professional wildlife photographer, safari guide and tourism expert, Rajiv Welikala in our inaugural Shutterbug segment. Photographing wildlife since he was just 12 years old, Rajiv’s love of nature and wildlife began at a very young age during his various excursions to the wild. “My first memory in the wild is seeing Horton Plains national park. I’ve been exploring the wilds for all my life and that is my passion, and I’m very fortunate that my passion has become my career”. 

“What inspires me the most is just truly appreciating nature which is all around us - be it in our homes and our back gardens or the wilds of a deep, dark rainforest. Nature is something we have to live with and appreciate. Most of the time, we take it for granted. My mission in life is to share my passion and love for nature through my photography and I hope this inspires the younger generation to take up an interest not just in photography, but also appreciate nature and wildlife in all its glory”.

 
In this week’s Shutterbug, Rajiv shares his favourite images captured in the wilds of Sri Lanka and overseas over the last few years.

Photo credit: Rajiv Welikala