The Thalangama and Kimbulawela wetlands, located near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, have recently become an ecological hotspot for golden jackals, with multiple sightings reported over the past few months.
On February 1, wildlife photographer Chathuraya de Silva encountered a family of three jackals while photographing birds in the Thalangama wetlands. Initially mistaking them for stray dogs, he soon realized they were jackals as they ventured closer to him.
“I was quietly waiting to photograph birds when I noticed these animals approaching me. At first, I thought they were dogs, but on closer observation, I realized they were jackals,” de Silva said. He also recalled a previous sighting but noted that the animal had disappeared before he could capture it on camera.
A similar sighting was reported on December 4, 2024, in the Kimbulawela wetlands, near Sri Lanka’s Parliament. Birdwatcher Priyanath Kothalawela observed two jackals at around 6:45 a.m. He speculated that the absence of farmers in the adjacent paddy fields that morning may have allowed the jackals to move around freely.
According to Professor Sampath Seneviratne of the University of Colombo, while jackals are rare within the city, they remain widespread in wetland habitats surrounding Colombo. The recent sightings indicate that these elusive canids continue to thrive in the urban-adjacent ecosystems of Sri Lanka’s capital.
