Small Mammals

Had a wonderful, great tour with many highlights each day. Thanks for working overtime to help us see such great wildlife, reptiles, snakes, mammals and birds. Also appreciate your knowledge about Sri Lanka in general and history. Thanks so much. Hope to see you in the future

Thank you so much, I appreciate all of your hard work helping us find great snakes...

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and helping us find some fantastic wildlife. I really enjoyed Sri Lanka.

Thank you so much, I appreciate all of your hard work helping us find great snakes. I really loved seeing your country and I cant wait to come back.

Our custom-designed 3-week exploration of the natural world of Sri Lanka was expertly designed by Classic Wild and Rajiv. Our group of 6 photographers enjoyed our time spent in the National Parks and preserves searching for and photographing so many species found in Sri Lanka from butterflies to leopards. Rajiv designed our tour to meet the diverse interests of our group and to introduce us to a variety of habitats and species found in Sri Lanka. Thank you to Rajiv and his team for all of the efforts that went into planning our adventure!

Island Fever

Cannot thank Rajiv and Classic Wild enough for the two trips (and more planned) executed for my small groups. Great places to stay, excellent wildlife opportunities and no detail not taken care of from start to finish. This is the only way to experience the wilds of Sri Lanka…in comfort!

I went on the last weekend Yala tour with Rajiv Welikala and had a great trip, great organization, very comfortable and pleasing accommodation with good food. He is a true wild life enthusiast and it was lovely listening to his experiences in the jungle . I have been spreading the word to family and friends about the trip and I look forward to organizing another one to Yala with Rajiv and I plan to take a full contingent of my friends along as well.

I am writing this review to thank 'Rajiv Welikala for organizing the most memorable tour to Habarana ( Minneriya & Kaudulla National Parks) This was my first trip with Classic Wild and it was fully worth and very highly recommend. The naturalist guide 'Supurna Hettiarachchi (Hetti) was professional, polite and really patient. He had a very good eye for spotting birds, if not for Hetti, I would not have spotted many different varieties of birds. Overall I am highly satisfied with the entire journey and it was an adventure to remember. I am looking forward to joining Classic Wild for many other wildlife tours.

Good luck & God Bless you all !!

Had a wonderful 3 night excursion to Sinharaja arranged by Rajiv and his team at Classic Wild.

All arrangements with regards to transport, accommodation, food and guides were well taken care of and as promised. The birding guide Hetti was exceptional as were the local driver/ guides Tilak and Dhanuskha who went all out to seek and show us a pair of Frogmouths and a pair of Serendib Scops Owls amongst the many other endemic birds we were able to see. We had a fun trip and would definitely go back to Sinharaja with them.

We did a safari tour of Yala National Park with Rajiv Welikala and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rajiv was very attentive and ensured we enjoyed our stay. He and the other tour guides took extra effort to show us and the rest of our tour group the rarer animals in the park and as a result we did. The drivers were also extremely skilled and went out of their way to get us a rare sighting as well. All in all the trip was very enjoyable and we will not forget this amazing experience!

I've been to Yala National Park countless times and never truly experienced or appreciated the park until my recent trip with Rajiv Welikala and Classic Wild. Rajiv's enthusiasm for wildlife and photography makes him an expert guide and host, and I learned something new about our island's rich natural heritage with every sighting. I came out of the tour with a greater appreciation for wildlife, better photography skills under Rajiv's mentoring, great sightings and a wider circle of fellow animal enthusiasts and travelers. The trip to Yala was an absolute treat and Classic Wild is to be praised for its exceptional organization. Travel was smooth and comfortable and our stay at Yala was fantastic with truly great food, cosy rooms and brilliant service. I cannot recommend the trip highly enough for budding photographers or nature enthusiasts like myself. It isn't every day you get the opportunity to travel with a legendary wildlife photographer and enthusiast like Rajiv and learn so much.

Took part on a birding tour to Sinharaja with Classic Wild, it was a very well organized tour, our birding guide Hetti was amazing with his knowledge on bird calls and local knowledge on the whereabouts of each endemic bird species which made bird watching all the more easier even though the damp weather. A big thanks to Rajiv and Classic Wild for organizing the tour

Natural Selection Tours

Took part on a birding tour to Sinharaja with Classic Wild, it was a very well organized tour, our birding guide Hetti was amazing with his knowledge on bird calls and local knowledge on the whereabouts of each endemic bird species which made bird watching all the more easier even though the damp weather. A big thanks to Rajiv and Classic Wild for organizing the tour

The leopard maybe the top predator on land, but there are three more felines who are much rarer but just as intriguing. The Fishing Cat is found throughout the country, even in suburban areas off Colombo. Mainly a nocturnal predator they are mostly found in wetland habitats such as swamps and marshes. As its name suggests these felines are known to feed on fish, but will also prey on small mammals and birds. The cat has a double layer of fur which helps to keep it dry. The cat also has semi-webbed feet which helps with swimming.

The Jungle Cat is a more slender and graceful feline, mainly seen in the dry zone of the island. One of the most distinctive features are the black ear tufts similar to other wild cats found around the world. Coloration can vary from region, from grayish to more brown in color. Active during daytime, the best place to see these beautiful cats is in Uda Walawe National Park, where if one is observant and sharp can have a good chance in catching a glimpse of this shy feline.

The Rusty Spotted Cat is the smallest wild cat on the island. Similar in size to a domestic cat, this species is widespread across the island, though seldom seen. The Rusty Spotted Cat is a nocturnal hunter and feeds mainly on insects, small birds, rodents, frogs and possibly small lizards as well as domestic fowl. The coats of the kittens are duller than the adults. The Rusty-spotted Cat is named after its specific markings. The base fur is usually grey in colour and is covered by small rust red coloured spots which form into solid stripes along the back and on the top of the head – the underparts of the body, the chest bib and the chin are white. Sightings have been confirmed in national parks such as Yala and Wilpattu but they are quite rare to see during the daytime.

The bizarre and mysterious Slender Loris, is one of the strangest creatures you can encounter in Sri Lanka. Referred to as the “Elves of the Forest” , these almost alien like creatures are primates which are strictly nocturnal.

There are two variants in Sri Lanka, the more common Grey Slender Loris , which are usually found in the dry zones of the island, and also found in India as well.

Then there is the Red Slender Loris which is endemic to the island, and found in lowland rainforests and wet climatic zones. They differ their Grey cousins in its frequent use of rapid arboreal locomotion. It forms small social groups which comprise if adults as well as a few young individuals. This is one of the most social of the nocturnal primates and during daytime they sleep in groups in small branch tangles usually curled up with their head between the legs.

Bring mostly carnivorous in nature, they feed on insects, small reptiles and even small birds. They also feed on leaves, fruits and berries.

It is almost fantastical to know that there are special variants of the squirrel family who can actually glide in the air. This is an amazing evolutionary adaptation by some members of the rodent family. The Flying Squirrels belong to the family Pteromyidae. Flying Squirrels are found in many parts of the world. The other mammals that fly, actually they glide, are the Flying Lemurs of Malaysia, the Flying Squirrels of America and the Flying Phalangers of Australia.

Sri Lanka is home to two such species, the Small Flying Squirrel (Petinomys fuscocapillus) known as the “Kuda Hambawa” in the local tongue and the Grey Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) known as the “Mana Hambawa”.

The Grey Flying Squirrel is more numerous compared to its smaller counterpart. They have a dark silver gray coloration, but some individuals can be eve dark brown. Both species are stricly nocturnal and have large beady eyes.

The ability to glide enables these amazing creatures to move between trees at ease. Due to their shy nature they are seen strictly at night, and even then by a very lucky few. During daytime they usually rest in tree hollows and prefer feeding on fruits and flowers after dark.

The appellation ‘flying’ is a misnomer because these squirrels cannot actually fly. They have fairly thick membranes, extending between the front and back legs on both sides, which they use as a parachute to glide down from tall trees to the branches of another tree lower down.

These membranes reach down to the toes of both fore and hind feet. The fore limbs and the neck are joined by small membranes, as are the hind limbs to the first two or three inches of the tail.

A fairly thick cartilage about six inches long on the edge of this membrane and starting from the front legs keeps the membrane from being limp. Without the cartilage, the flying squirrel would not be able to spread out the membrane and glide.

The flying squirrel is said to have a curious method of getting back to its nest hole, which is generally in the trunk of a tree. If, in its nocturnal forays, it has wandered downhill in search of food, the flying squirrel climbs up a tall tree and glides or ‘vol planes’ down to the base of a tree, which is higher up the hill. He then climbs up this tree and repeats this performance till he finally reaches the base of the tree in which his nest hole is.

One of the most bizarre creatures in the animal world is the Pangolin. Sri Lanka is home to the Indian Pangolin also known as the Thick Tailed Pangolin. They have a distinctive look with an elongated tapering body which is covered in overlapping scales akin to a reptile, and act as armor plating. These scales shed periodically. The scales are the pangolins version of hairs or spines which have become enlarged and flattened.

They are a solitary animal and are found in scrub forests and seldom seen out in the open. They feed on termites and are also excellent climbers using an almost caterpillar like locomotion with a firm grip using their long claws. The pangolins have specialized feeding habits where they feed mainly on the termites by first digging the nests using their long claws, and thereafter feeding rapidly using their long thin tongue.

The Indian Pangolin is a very shy and timid animal who curls up into a ball when threatened. They are also known to emit a smelly acid from their anal glands which is similar to a skunk, but they are unable to spray their liquid.

They are known as the most trafficked animal in the world, with a great demand for their meat by the Chinese, hence there are listed as Endangered.