Man Eating Leopards of Sri Lanka

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

A photo of the Man Eating Leopard of Punanai after being shot to death
Source : Loris

Leopards are predominantly nocturnal but also exhibit activity during dawn, dusk, and even daylight hours. Unlike their counterparts in other countries, the Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) rarely hoists its prey into trees. This behavior is likely due to its status as the island’s apex predator and the abundance of available prey.

Leopards typically do not attack humans unless they are startled, feel threatened, or are wounded. However, like other predators, if they develop a taste for human blood, they may actively seek out humans as prey.

There are few leopards which has gone down in history as man-eaters.

Man Eating Leopard of Punanai

The man-eating leopard of Punanai is considered one of the deadliest human predators in Sri Lanka’s known history. Punanai, a village about 15 km northwest of Valachchenai in the Batticaloa District, was terrorized by this leopard, which killed at least 18 people within six months. However, some believe the true number of victims was much higher but never accurately recorded (Wilson, 1958).

Reports of a leopard attacking travelers on jungle roads near Punanai surfaced in 1924. Initially, one man was killed, then another, and another—each victim dragged into the wilderness and devoured. The three-mile stretch between the Vakanarai turnoff and Punanai became the most feared road in the country.

The first known victim was a young Muslim boy tending to cattle for a contractor. Seeking shelter from the rain, he huddled under a sack, unwittingly making himself an easy target for the leopard, which may have initially been hunting a calf. Believing their son had been murdered by the contractor, the boy’s parents reported their suspicions to the police, leading to the contractor’s arrest. However, the discovery of the boy’s remains, marked by clear signs of a leopard attack, revealed the true fate of the boy.

Shortly after, another man was killed nearby, and the attacks continued unpredictably. At times, weeks would pass without an incident, only for the leopard to strike repeatedly in quick succession. Among its victims were a Tamil postal runner, a road repair worker, and travelers with bullock carts.

During this time, multiple British huntersv(who called themselves sportsmen) attempted to track and kill the leopard. For a brief period, the attacks ceased, leading to speculation that one of the hunters had succeeded. However, after nearly a month of peace, a postal runner was mauled near the railway tracks, proving that the predator was still alive.

Roper Shelton Agar, a seasoned hunter, initially attempted to lure the leopard with a goat, but his plan failed when the animal remained silent, failing to attract the predator. He abandoned the hunt for the time being. When the second postal runner was killed, Agar was in the up-country hills tracking a rogue elephant. Upon hearing of the renewed attacks, he rushed to Batticaloa, arriving just 29 hours after last previous kill.

Determined to end the reign of terror, Agar set up an ambush near the remains of the postal runner. However, while preparing his tree-top platform, the leopard silently took the kill deeper into the jungle. Undeterred, he tracked it further, setting up another lookout near the new location of the carcass. This time, his patience paid off. When the leopard returned to feed, Agar took his shot, finally bringing an end to one of Sri Lanka’s most notorious man-eaters.

Agar, mindful of posterity, donated the leopard’s skin to the National Museum, where the mounted specimen remains on display to this day.

Man Eating Leopard of Komari

Komari is a small village situated along the Komari Lagoon and the sea, approximately 15 km north of Pottuvil. In 1936, this quiet village on Sri Lanka’s east coast was terrorized by a man-eating leopard. The first victim was an elderly woman, whose severed head was later recovered. The leopard then entered a villager’s house, but the startled resident managed to escape unharmed. A few days later, the leopard struck again, killing another woman. Strangely, it left the body untouched and never returned to feed on it.

The terror came to an end when Clement Bartholemeusz, a pioneer from Kandy who had come to establish an estate in the region, encountered the beast. While walking along the Murugan Theru section of the lagoon, he sensed something behind him. Turning around, he saw a massive leopard—undoubtedly the man-eater. An experienced hunter, Clement swiftly took aim and shot the leopard, bringing its reign of terror to an end.

Man Eating Leopard of Pottana

In the 1950s, a notorious leopard began attacking pilgrims traveling to Kataragama in southern Sri Lanka. This elusive predator, later known as the “Pottana Man-Eater,” claimed several lives in the Pottana area. However, just as suddenly as the attacks had begun, they ceased without explanation, and the man-eating leopard was never seen again.

The Legend of Lenama Leopards

Lenama, a remote jungle village near Yala National Park in eastern Sri Lanka, is historically significant for its association with the now-extinct Veddha community and the legendary Nittaewo, a mysterious pygmy race.

According to tradition, the Nittaewo lived in small groups, sleeping in caves or tree platforms thatched with leaves, and surviving through hunting. They were said to be savage, tearing open their prey with long claws and consuming the entrails. The Veddhas, who coexisted with them, considered them a constant threat.

Legend tells of a final conflict between the Lenama Veddhas and the Nittaewo, culminating in the Veddhas trapping the last remaining Nittaewos inside a cave. They sealed the entrance with brushwood and set it alight, keeping the fire burning for three days until the entire race perished.

Another local legend describes a group of Lenama Veddhas who joined a pilgrimage (Pada Yathra) to Kataragama at some later time. Upon returning, they attempted to recount their experiences, but the others insisted on a reenactment. To mimic the festival’s sacred fire, they burned animal fat for five days. On the last day, having run out of oil, they used pig fat instead.

This act angered the deity Kataragama, who, in divine retribution, sent a massive leopard to the village. The leopard slaughtered the entire Lenama Veddha population, wiping them out as they had once done to the Nittaewo.

Because of this legend, locals believe that leopards from Lenama are larger and more ferocious than their counterparts elsewhere in Sri Lanka.

References

Agar, A. S. (1938). The Man-Eating Leopard of Punanai. Loris : A Journal of Ceylon Wild Life, 1(part 1-5), 268–280.
Crowe, P. K. (1956). Leopards of Lenama. Loris : A Journal of Ceylon Wild Life, VII(3), 160–169.
Hill, W. C. (1945). Nittaewo -An Unsolved Problem of Ceylon. Loris : A Journal of Ceylon Wild Life, IV(1), 252–262.
Wilson, C. (1958). The Killing of the Punanai Man Eater. Loris : A Journal of Ceylon Wild Life, VIII(2), 73–77.

Also See

Leopards of Sri Lanka

Man Eating Leopard of Punanai

Man Eating Leopard of Komari

Man Eating Leopard of Pottana

The Legend of Lenama Leopards

Also See

Share this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply