Features

Tragic ignorance underlying the maligning of “Born Again Christianity”

Published

3 years ago

2023/04/7

Thilina Walpola

A clarification in the context of Easter 2023

By Professor A. N. I. Ekanayaka
Emeritus Professor

Amidst much of the irrationality and ignorance that bedevils Sri Lankan society nowadays, the tendency to disparage what is called “born again Christianity” is one of the more prominent examples. The approach of Easter 2023 is an opportune time in which to dispel the ignorance and prejudice underlying this attitude. Across much of society from those in high places to the ordinary man in the street, from prominent politicians to many so-called learned intellectuals, and dominantly amongst some Buddhist clergy and their adherents, there is the notion that while it is perfectly respectable to belong to a mainline Christian denomination, “born again Christianity” is some weird fundamentalist cult that needs to be resisted. Little do they realise that in doing so they are opposing Christianity itself where the need to be “born again” (i. e. spiritually regenerate), is a sine qua non that lies at the very heart of authentic biblical Christian doctrine, as was strongly emphasised by Jesus himself in his earthly ministry.

Opposition to Christianity however is not the issue. Such opposition is as old as the Christian faith. The blood of the martyrs down the running centuries is testimony to that fact. Even in today’s world research shows that Christianity is by far the most persecuted of all religions. That is not surprising. The Christian diagnosis of the human predicament and its prescription of the biblical Gospel as the one and only path of salvation open to mankind is so unique and radical as to invariably evoke the ridicule and hostility of the world. That is the testimony of history through all generations.

Accordingly, that people should be derisive of born again Christianity is to be expected. But let them not delude themselves into thinking that in so doing they are not also opposing Christianity. The truth is that by doing so they are attacking the very foundations of historic bible-based Christianity. True Christianity according to the bible is in and of itself nothing less than ‘born again Christianity”! Christianity is nothing if not “born again Christianity”. Whether people like it or not that is the plain truth. This article is intended to clarify this reality

Ironically, the tendency to disparage “born again Christianity” is not confined to those who are outside the Christian Church. Sadly, many so-called Christians themselves know little or nothing of this fundamental doctrine. Consequently, they live out their entire life as regular church goers comforting themselves with formal religion and empty ritual, and finally go to the grave in darkness without having ever understood the immeasurable riches of the biblical Gospel and what it means to be a born again regenerate Christian enjoying the guarantee of eternal security who can say with the great apostle Paul “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” !

Many apostate prelates in the mainline churches must bear heavy responsibility for the ignorance of ordinary Christians about the Christian gospel in which being born again (i.e. becoming spiritually regenerate not through human endeavour but through the decisive intervention of God in transforming the human heart), is an essential part. Those to blame for such widespread ignorance include many bishops priests and even popes and cardinals who steeped in the heresies of a spurious liberal theology, wallowing in religious pluralism and denying the absolute authority of scripture, fail to convey to their congregations the whole truth about their faith and what it means to be a Christian. Instead, they promote an unbiblical fallacious lukewarm sentimental Christianity after their own imagination with notions and practices that neither challenge the wisdom of the secular world nor conflict with the teachings of other religions.

No wonder so many unregenerate Christians who have themselves never experienced the miracle of being ‘born again’ feel no sense of outrage when something as basic as born again Christianity is subject to widespread scorn and ridicule in secular society and by those of other faiths. Nor do many apostate bishops and priests feel bad about it either, having neglected to lead their own people within the Church into the experience of being regenerate (born again) Christians. Given their theological devience, ignorance of scripture, doctrinal confusion, and being timid religious pluralists unwilling to say anything that might conflict with the teachings of other religions, it is not surprising that such clergy should maintain a stoic embarrassed silence when born again Christianity is disparaged by those outside the Church.

At the other end of the spectrum are some pastors and evangelists of smaller denominations who though they are not ashamed to proclaim the necessity for Christians to be “born again” do so in a shallow manner that trivialises, cheapens, dilutes and distorts the doctrine of spiritual regeneration in the truly born again Christian as taught by Jesus. Those who are guilty of this include certain charismatic groups and their populist preachers with a shallow and superficial understanding of salvation through the biblical Gospel. Worse the slogan of born again Christianity could be maliciously exploited by opulent politically influential charismatic heretics who lead satanic cults and posing as ‘prophets’ in complete defiance of scripture deceive thousands in gargantuan mega churches where they preach a pernicious ‘prosperity theology’ that is as evil and heretical as the ‘liberal theology’ which makes bishops and priests of the mainline Churches underplay the importance of ‘born again Christianity’.

On the other hand, for people of other faiths especially Buddhists and Hindus to disparage “born again Christianity” is also unfair and inconsistent. The fact is nearly all religions have some concept of rebirth deeply ingrained in their philosophy (however different it may be to the Christian understanding of spiritual regeneration). For example, to deny rebirth would be a violation of one of the most basic tenets of Buddhism.

The Buddha himself accepted the premises and concepts relating to rebirth and there are several references to rebirth in early Buddhist texts including several Suttas. What is rebirth unless it is one particular understanding of being born again? Consequently, it is particularly unkind and illogical that any Buddhist should look down on ‘Born again Christians’. In Hinduism, too, the Bhagavad Gita acknowledges that every human being has a choice to get out of the cycle of rebirth. So, where Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism all in their own way have a doctrine of new birth which goes to the very foundation of these religions, it is perplexing why the peculiarly Christian understanding of regeneration should evoke so much cynicism.

It only in Christianity that being born again is understood hopefully and expectantly as a glorious consummation devoutly to be desired, the gateway to peace joy and victorious living in this life whatever its sufferings, and the passport to the glories of eternal life to come in the heavenly kingdom where the scriptures promise that God will dwell with his people “and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev.21: 3-4)

The glorious optimism of the Christian understanding of being spiritually ‘born again’ here and now and the cast iron guarantee of eternal security that it includes contrasts with the depressing pessimism that surrounds all other conceptions of rebirth/or being ‘born again’ in other religions. So, the cynicism towards ‘born again Christianity’ may in part be the reaction of those whose own conception of new birth according to their belief system amounts to a depressing intangible mystical notion of reincarnation which dependent on the vagaries of human endeavor and being rooted in abstract philosophy is hard to understand and offers little to look forward to. This may also explain the conversion anxiety which drives the continuing hostility towards evangelists who peacefully preach the doctrine of ‘born again Christianity’ in the community.

In the free market of human ideology especially pertaining to matters of life and death, notions of salvation that are grounded in incontrovertible historical events, stand the test of time in the furnace of human experience, are of greater immediate value in coping with the problems of life, and are seen to guarantee the consolation of eternal security beyond death, will inevitably be more attractive. The great hope and eternal truth of the Christian Gospel that lies at the heart of ‘born again Christianity’ has this advantage. Consequently, it is not surprising that those who are alarmed at the prospect of peaceful conversions to the Christian religion should seek to stigmatize the notion of being a born again Christian.

So, what is this doctrine of being ‘born again’ that lies at very heart of the Christian religion ? The concept in one way or another underlies the entire Bible from start to finish where all scripture is the Word of God spoken and the record of God’s historic offensive against human sin in a fallen universe where all human beings in their natural state in every generation find themselves alienated from God, in a state of total depravity and total inability to save themselves by their own meritorious works. In this context, the specific reference to the imperative of being “born again” goes back to a memorable encounter in the life of Jesus, who controversially claimed to be God himself incarnate as the perfect human being, who had come into the world to save sinners. He would achieve this by being their sin bearer and redeemer thereby atoning for their sins through his bitter suffering and death on the cross, before his mighty resurrection three days later as predicted.

One night a distinguished ruler of the Jews and a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin named Nicodemus visited Jesus secretly for fear of being found out by his peers. Nicodemus was curious to know more about Jesus’ identity and the core of his teaching. The scriptures record that to Nicodemus’s astonishment Jesus cut through unessentials and went straight to the point saying “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot (even) see the kingdom of God” ! (Jn 3:3). Unable to make sense of the spiritual metaphor used by Jesus Nicodemus reportedly lapsed into good humoured cynicism exclaiming that such a suggestion was as preposterous as a man “entering a second time into his mother’s womb and being born”. But Jesus was adamant insisting that unless one is born again “he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:5). “You must be born again” (Jn 3:7) he reiterated. It is one of the most explicit warnings Jesus ever issued during his earthly ministry. Let there be no mistake. It is this warning that people belittle nowadays when they make light of born again Christianity.

One of the greatest theologians of the age Dr JI Packer has explained that being “born again” was a picture phrase Jesus used in his conversation with Nicodemus to depict the concept of “Regeneration”. It is “God renovating the heart, the core of a person’s being, by implanting a new principle of desire, purpose and action, a dispositional dynamic that finds expression in a positive response to the (biblical) Gospel and its Christ” : i. e. saving faith. From first to last such regeneration is seen entirely as the work of God, where God raises those whom he has chosen among the spiritually dead to new life in Christ Jesus as Christians. Dr David Martyn Lloyd Jones the brilliant physician who gave up medicine to become the greatest preacher in England last century, in his book “Experiencing the New Birth” explained that Christianity is that which brings a person to a personal knowledge of God. True (born again) Christianity is knowing God he said. “Not just believing a few things about God and having a nice little life. That is not Christianity. That is nothing but morality or mere religion”. The essence of the new birth is beginning to know and have communion with God, a radical conversion that will be publicly reflected in a transformed lifestyle which in every detail of daily life acknowledges the Lordship of Christ.

That in brief is what “born again” means in Christianity. That is the glorious God driven consummation that people disparage when they in their ignorance mock born again Christianity. Hopefully, those who stand corrected by this clarification will cease doing so rather than further imperil their own souls by stigmatising the truth.

Finally, those who presume to write about such matters if they are to be credible witnesses to the truth must themselves be able to lay some claim in all humility to a personal experience of what it means to be born again from a uniquely Christian perspective. True, this may lay them open to a charge of committing intellectual suicide or worse arrogant self-righteous, holier than thou presumption where on the surface they appear to be flawed personalities no better than other people.

But such cynical reactions are themselves an example of the ignorance surrounding born again Christianity. Jesus once said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. For I came not to call the righteous but sinners” (Matt 9:12-13). In the Christian understanding salvation through being born again represents the spiritual liberation of those, even the dregs of society, who lamenting their sins and acknowledging their wretchedness, bemoaning their total depravity and inability to save themselves and putting their faith in Christ, find themselves unworthy recipients of the free gift of God through grace. The great apostle Paul, who himself admitted to being the “very least of all the saints …” (Eph 3:8), writing from a Roman prison about AD 60 put it perfectly: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. Not a result of (meritorious) works so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). So it was with the regenerate John Newton formerly the degenerate wretched captain of a slave ship and an investor in the slave trade (later becoming an evangelical English cleric and slavery abolitionist), who in 1772 wrote this memorable lyric :

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now I’m found,
Was blind but now I see
That is what it means to become a “born again Christian”.

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Features

Samarawickrama’s rise gives Sri Lanka a second pillar

Published

4 hours ago

2026/06/11

Priyan

Harshitha Samarawickrama's advance as a T20 batter has opened up a new frontier in Sri Lanka's batting performance [Cricinfo]

Harshitha Samarawickrema was 14 when Sri Lankan women’s cricket first pricked the national consciousness. She had already been playing cricket for her school, Gothami Balika Vidyalaya, but had largely pursued cricket merely for the sake of playing a sport, and also because she had enjoyed watching the men’s team play. But watching Sri Lanka defeat England in a thriller at the 2013 World Cup stirred up a deeper yearning.

“I’d watched all of the matches at that World Cup actually – that was the first time those kind of matches were telecast,” Samarawickrama said once. “That’s when I decided I was going to play and win matches for Sri Lanka one day.”

That victory against England was a new dawn for Sri Lanka’s women for two reasons. First up it was the highest-profile victory on their ledger until then, marking an unexpected high point in a World Cup in which little was generally expected of the team. But it also marked the rocket-powered arrival of Chamari Athapaththu, who top-scored with 62 to help set up the chase.

Thirteen years later, Samarawickrama has not only fulfilled her promise to herself, she has also helped Sri Lanka bring to life the promise of that 2013 campaign. Athapaththu, who has since has become the superstar around which Sri Lanka’s cricket orbits, has never known a more consistent batting collaborator than Samarawickrama. In T20Is, the pair have put on 1,202 runs together – easily the best for Sri Lanka. Though both are lefties who revel in pressure, that’s about where the similarities end – Athapaththu having grown up idolising the big-hitting of Sanath Jayasuriya, while Samarawickrama had been a disciple of the Kumar Sangakkara school of left-handed batting. (Samarawickrama still tries to replicate that famous bent-kneed cover drive, though she invariably sprinkles a little of of her own flair to the endeavour.) Oppositions have found this combination difficult to contend with, Athapaththu commanding through the legside and brutal on errors of length, while Samarawickrama flits around the crease and carves boundaries through cover and point.

It has been clear for years now that Sri Lanka’s chances in pretty much any match depend primarily on Athapaththu runs. But Samarawickrama’s advance as a T20 batter has now opened up a new frontier in the team’s batting performance. Ideally, what Sri Lanka want is not merely big runs from their captain, but a strong partnership between Athapaththu and Samarawickrama. In victories, the Athapaththu-Samarawickrama stand averages 41.38.

More tellingly, a good Samarawickrama innings has become as reliable a predictor of a strong Sri Lanka showing as a good Athapaththu innings. In T20I wins, Athapaththu averages 40.18 and strikes at 131, in comparison to 17.94 and a strike rate of 94 in losses. Samarawickrama’s corresponding numbers are even more stark. In Sri Lanka victories, Samarawickrama averages 44.08 with a strike rate of 109. In losses those numbers are 16.94 and 87. Other Sri Lanka batters have leveled up in recent years too – Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva and Hasini Perera having become more frequent contributors, while 20-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne has also showed promise. But 11 years into her international career, Samarawickrama now has a serious body of work.

Samarawickrama had been modest in the shortest format in 2025, but she arrives at the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 having had a good six months. Against Bangladesh in April, Samarawickrama had cracked 61 off 35, then 49 off 29, in back-to-back matches that Sri Lanka won (Samarawickrama was top-scorer on both occasions). This was in addition to having put up good numbers in the ODI series that preceded the T20Is. Her 36 not out off 34 in a comfortable warm-up win against Netherlands suggests she is still riding on that form.

This is the first T20 World Cup in which serious runs are expected of Samarawickrama, and if history is much to go by, she is not the sort to be daunted by occasion. Samarawickrama’s finest moments as a Sri Lanka cricketer had come in their most-celebrated win of all, in the Asia Cup final of 2024, against India. Typically, that chase of 166 in Dambulla had been propelled by an 87-run Athapaththu-Samarawickrama stand, but when Athapaththu was dismissed, Samarawickrama ensured she remained at the crease until the winning moments, hitting 69 not out off 51, ultimately collecting the Player-of-the-Match award.

If 2013 was a new dawn inspiring a fresh generation of Sri Lanka cricketers, 2024 was the year in which the team hammered its stake into the ground, breaking through into an entirely new galaxy of recognition and acclaim at home. Frequently batting in the shadow of Athapaththu, but always charting her own path, Samarawickrama has grown into a leader.

[Cricinfo]

Features

US’ anti-migrant stance set to intensify tensions in Western camp

Published

19 hours ago

2026/06/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

Migrant boats land on Western beaches. Credit: PA

The announcement by the US authorities of an anti-migrant stance during a recent commemoration in France of the epochal D-Day Landings of June 6, 1944, ought to strike impartial observers as a supreme irony. Whereas what should have been expected was a vibrant celebration of the beginning of the process of Western Europe freeing itself decisively from Nazi or fascist control during the crucial stages of World War Two, this was not to be.

What the world heard instead was a call to contemporary Western Europe to arm itself against a seemingly rising and threatening migrant presence in the region. In other words, the migrant must be despised and ‘shown the door’.

Instead of a commemoration that rejoiced in the flourishing of liberal democracy and its values what one got was a strong affirmation of fascism and racial chauvinism. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vented his spleen against the migrant or foreigner presence in Europe reportedly thus: ‘Sadly today different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies.’ To ‘beaches in Spain and Italy and Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion?’

While at the outbreak of World War Two it was Nazi Germany that was doing the invading and bringing some principal European countries under its suzerainty, this time around we are being given to understand that it’s migrants to the West who are seeking to colonize the latter. It goes without saying that such inflammatory rhetoric would have the deleterious effect of keeping racial tensions alive in the West and jeopardize all possibilities of the countries concerned cementing and maintaining social stability.

The Trump administration gives the impression of taking a leaf from the politically underdeveloped regions of the South to keep the US polity stable and united. In South Asia, for instance, we are not short of ambitious demagogues who use what is referred to as the ‘race card’ to gather unto themselves a following and thereby further their political fortunes. By seeking to stir and sustain anti-migrant hysteria, the Trump administration is also essentially replicating Nazi Germany’s policy of anti-Semitism. That is, fascism is very much alive in the US under President Trump.

Such efforts at churning racial hysteria at this juncture in the US should not come as a surprise. For all intents and purposes, the Trump administration is nowhere near achieving its aims in West Asia, for instance, in the short term. It has failed to bring Iran down to its knees, as it hoped to do, but is adopting the expedient of keeping the world guessing and confused on what it is doing in the region, since it cannot withdraw from the theatre in a hurry without losing face.

While perhaps working out an escape strategy the Trump administration it seems, is hoping to maintain its following at home intact and silent by playing on their racial biases and insecurities. Hence, the anti-foreigner campaign.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration will need to keep a close eye on how economic pressures on the domestic front are panning out. Anti-administration sentiments first break to the surface at meal tables. On this score, the news cannot be good because the average US family’s spending power ought to be shrinking on account of rising energy and oil prices. Consequently, it would not be a bad idea to keep the attention of the US consumer diverted by adeptly playing ‘the race card’; once again, lessons from intellectually bankrupt Southern politicians are coming in handy.

To be sure such comparisons many politicians in vibrantly democratic countries would find quite unflattering. But the stark truth is that racism cannot be tolerated in civilized societies and those politicians who resort to it risk being branded as racists of the first degree. In fact they could be seen as being on par with the likes of German dictator Adolph Hitler and his close collaborators.

However, on the question of migrant policy the Trump administration would likely be at polar opposites with the most vibrant of liberal democracies of the West. This will be the case with the UK, France and Italy for instance. The latter continue to keep their doors open to legal migrants and they are likely to view a virtual blanket ban on migrants as reprehensible.

Moreover, in the foremost democracies of the West debates are vibrantly ongoing on the need to keep racism or any hint of it completely outlawed in the public plane. There is the case of the UK, for instance, where the authorities continue to emphatically pinpoint their adherence to the principle of anti-racism in the conduct of public affairs.

One proof of the above was the parliamentary debate relating to the killing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton. Police handling of the victim came in for sharp scrutiny by particularly the opposition in the House of Commons but there seemed to be a consensus over the main political divide that the matter should not be politicized.

Moreover, the UK authorities stressed in the House the government’s strict adherence to the policy of non-racism. It was also pointed out that British institutions set up to manage racism at the national, county and neighbourhood levels, for example, were very much intact. In fact, Sri Lanka could gain considerably by studying and implementing locally, legislation modeled on the relevant UK laws if it is in earnest when it speaks of ‘reconciliation’.

Accordingly, it is highly unlikely that Western Europe would ‘cave in’, so to speak, to US pressure on issues related to migration. The liberal democracies of Western Europe in particular would remain for the foreseeable future migrant-welcoming, multi-ethnic and plural democracies.

Nor is it likely that Western Europe would be passively receptive to US demands that it drastically increases its defense spending to meet the latter’s aims. Within the Western fold the EU is remaining committed to backing Ukraine, for instance, in its ongoing armed resistance to the Russian invasion and it is not giving any indication of being deferent to US pressure.

However, although tensions would continue to bristle within US-Western Europe relations on the above and numerous other matters of contention it would be far too premature to announce a parting of company between the two sections of the West. In that sense, the post-World War Two order remains essentially intact. There are still many things in common between the two, particular on the economic plane, that will ensure the continuance of the partnership.

Features

A decade among Yala’s ghosts of gold

Published

19 hours ago

2026/06/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

YM75 "James" surveys his territory from a tree-top vantage point, demonstrating the leopard's commanding presence in the landscape.

The first rays of dawn creep over the ancient rocks of Yala. The Indian Ocean glimmers in the distance, and the wilderness slowly awakens. Somewhere amid the scrub jungle, a pair of amber eyes scans the landscape.

For wildlife conservationist and leopard researcher Milinda Wattegedara, moments such as these have defined more than a decade of dedication to one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic creatures—the Sri Lankan leopard.

What began as fascination evolved into a remarkable conservation journey that has transformed the understanding of Yala’s leopard population and placed Sri Lanka firmly on the global wildlife research map.

“Long before I ever lifted a camera, leopards had already captured my imagination,” says Wattegedara. “What fascinated me was not merely their beauty but the complexity of their lives—their hunting strategies, movements, reproductive behaviour and their remarkable ability to adapt to changing environments.”

That fascination led to the birth of the Yala Leopard Diary in 2013, an ambitious long-term project dedicated to documenting individual leopards and unraveling the mysteries surrounding their lives.

For many visitors, a leopard sighting is a fleeting thrill. For Wattegedara and his team, every encounter is a chapter in an ongoing scientific story.

“Each photograph was never the end of an encounter,” he explains. “It was the beginning of deeper questions. How did a particular leopard use the landscape? How did its behaviour change with the seasons? What environmental pressures shaped its decisions?”

These questions drove years of meticulous fieldwork. Every sighting was carefully recorded with details including location, habitat, behaviour, date and time. Photographs were analysed to identify individual animals through unique spot patterns, allowing researchers to distinguish one leopard from another with remarkable accuracy.

What followed was groundbreaking.

YF77 “Shelly” pauses in quiet observation, embodying the alertness
and grace that define Yala’s leopard population.

From 2013 to 2026, the Yala Leopard Diary identified an astonishing 189 individual leopards within the Yala Block 1. The research revealed a leopard density of approximately 0.524 leopards per square kilometre, making Yala one of the highest leopard-density landscapes ever recorded anywhere in the world.

Such findings have elevated Yala’s status among global wildlife researchers.

Nestled between the Indian Ocean and a mosaic of habitats, ranging from rocky outcrops to dense scrub forests, Yala offers an ecological stage unlike any other.

Here, leopards are photographed silhouetted against ocean horizons, perched atop ancient granite formations, resting on tree branches and stalking prey across sunlit grasslands.

The images tell stories of extraordinary lives.

There is Haminee, a devoted mother navigating the challenges of raising cubs in a competitive landscape. There is Lucas, one of Yala’s most frequently documented males, striding confidently across the Gonalabba Plains with the vast ocean forming an unforgettable backdrop.

There is Ruki demonstrating the species’ incredible strength by hoisting prey onto branches, and Shelly, quietly surveying her surroundings in a moment of feline vigilance.

Together, these individuals have become familiar characters in a living wilderness drama.

YM31 “Ruki” secures prey on a branch, illustrating the remarkable strength and coordination of the Sri Lankan leopard.

Recognising the immense value of long-term documentation, Wattegedara joined forces with fellow researchers Dushyantha Silva, Raveendra Siriwardana and Mevan Piyasena to establish the Yala Leopard Centre in 2020.

Located at the Palatupana entrance to the Yala National Park, the centre is believed to be the world’s first information facility dedicated exclusively to leopards.

“The centre serves as a repository of knowledge, accumulated through years of observation and research,” Wattegedara says. “Our goal is to connect visitors with the science behind conservation and foster a deeper appreciation of these magnificent animals.”

The project’s impact extends far beyond Sri Lanka’s borders.

Research arising from the Yala Leopard Diary has been published in internationally recognised scientific journals. One study introduced an innovative framework for identifying individual leopards, while another documented an extraordinary and previously unrecorded case of a leopard cub being consecutively adopted by two different adult females—first a relative and later an unrelated leopardess.

The discovery attracted international scientific attention and highlighted the complexity of leopard social behaviour.

Yet for Wattegedara, the most important lesson remains one of humility.

“One conclusion has become increasingly clear,” he reflects. “Our understanding of these leopards remains far from complete. We are only beginning to understand how they live, adapt and persist in one of Sri Lanka’s most dynamic protected landscapes.”

YF15 “Hope” descends Rukvila Rock at dawn, showcasing the agility and adaptability of Yala’s leopards.

His words underscore an essential conservation truth: the more we learn about nature, the more mysteries emerge.

As Sri Lanka navigates growing environmental challenges, the Yala Leopard Diary stands as a shining example of what sustained observation, scientific curiosity and public engagement can achieve.

Beyond the stunning photographs and remarkable sightings lies something even more valuable—a growing body of knowledge capable of informing future conservation decisions and ensuring that future generations inherit a wilderness where leopards continue to roam free.

For more than a decade, Wattegedara and his colleagues have followed the tracks of Yala’s elusive predators through dust, rain and scorching heat.

Their work has revealed that every leopard has a story, every sighting has significance and every photograph can contribute to conservation.

And perhaps, most importantly, it has reminded us that the golden ghosts of Yala still have many secrets left to share.

By Ifham Nizam