Corridors for Conservation
The Leopard Project
The Sri Lankan leopard is the only large terrestrial predator in Sri Lanka, yet it remains a vulnerable species, due primarily to habitat loss and fragmentation. Through long term research of the leopard and understanding its land-use, the WWCT aims to conserve the Sri Lankan leopard in its natural habitat and by doing so, influence larger biodiversity and landscape conservation on this island.
Land use change, post-war development and human encroachment have drastically reduced wilderness areas in Sri Lanka. Through the research and understanding of how wildlife uses this remaining wilderness, the WWCT aims to identify vital connections and lands for targeted conservation and regeneration where possible, to the benefit of all biodiversity in Sri Lanka.
Education & Awareness
A key component in any conservation action; the education and awareness of communities living with wildlife, and within and adjacent to wild spaces, is vital. The WWCT ‘s outreach work focuses on increasing the understanding of living in co-existence with wildlife and increasing the value placed on wilderness spaces.
The Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT), founded in 2004, works toward the conservation and protection of the many species that call Sri Lanka home. Focusing primarily on the Sri Lankan leopard, the WWCT conducts ecological research in multiple locations across the island to establish key data relevant to the importance of the leopard and the influence this species has on its environment. In direct relation to its conservation, the WWCT also focuses on raising awareness through education in relevant organizations, communities, and schools to help maintain a peaceful human-leopard dynamic and to preserve the habitat in which the leopard, and other biodiversity, can thrive.