When it comes to wildlife photography, a long lens is your best friend, but then every so often you get surprised and find yourself almost too close!
That is what happened to me in Sri Lanka. I was looking for leopards in Ruhuna National Park. We had spotted one far away in the distance in a tree, but still only a speck with my longest zoom lens. Then only minutes later as our 4WD vehicle turned a corner, this mother Sri Lankan Sloth Bear appeared and crossed our path.
She was so close that with my long lens I only managed to snap a few quick photos before she meandered away, into some dense shrubs. I’ve seen Grizzly and Black bears in North America, but the Sloth bears I saw in Sri Lanka remain my favourite.
Certainly Sloth Bears are one of the favourite’s. I have seen many in India and this is one of the only wild species that can defend / have a territory battle with a top predator like the Tiger. A colleague of mine recently won a photography award which showcased a tiger and sloth bear fighting. Thanks
Wow, that’s a great shot. I didn’t even realise there were sloth bears in SL, when I was in Yala National Park I never saw a sign of one. Wish I had 🙁
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