Lankan explorer documents Africa’s elusive Black Leopard for first time

 Author Senaka Kotagama

• Photographer Senaka Kotagama to launch debut book “The World of the Black Leopard” in June with sales proceeds going to support Rotary for Little Hearts

By Tania de Silva

From the misty highlands of Sri Lanka to the rugged plains of Kenya, explorer and photographer Senaka Kotagama has spent over five decades chasing the unknown. Now, his life’s work is captured in his debut book, “The World of the Black Leopard”, set for release in June 2025.

More than only a travelogue, this self-published work tells the story of Giza – Swahili for “Black Beauty” – a rare melanistic leopard that Senaka became the first Sri Lankan to track in 2023. Inspired by pioneering camera-trap images from wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, Senaka ventured deep into the Laikipia Plateau of Kenya, an area often overlooked in favour of the more famous Maasai Mara.

“Leave nothing, take nothing except memories and pictures. Be responsible for everything you promote. Give back to nature for what you have taken, lest we damage this unique planet while shaping our destiny,” Senaka says, reflecting on his philosophy of exploration. 

A life shaped by the wild 

Born in Sri Lanka’s lush tea country in the mid-1960s, Senaka’s love for the outdoors began in childhood. Though he built a career as a tea taster, his true passion led him far beyond the tasting room – into some of the most remote and untamed corners of the world.

His adventures read like a catalogue of the Earth’s wildest landscapes:

• South America – Tracking jaguars in the Amazon, diving in Brazil’s surreal Abismo Anhumas, and rafting beneath Iguaçu Falls.
• Asia – Swimming alongside rare tiger sharks in Myanmar, exploring the whale-rich seas off Vietnam, and encountering Bengal tigers in India and Manchurian tigers in China.
• Africa – Navigating Tanzania’s Serengeti, where he had a near-miss with an angry lioness, and tracking elusive pumas in Chile’s Patagonian Andes.
• Indonesia – Facing off with Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. 

A ghost in the darkness 

The heart of ‘The World of the Black Leopard’ lies in Laikipia, Kenya, where Senaka spent years pursuing the near-mythical melanistic leopard. For local Samburu tribespeople, Giza is a sacred and mysterious creature, rarely seen even by seasoned trackers.

Unlike other wildlife books, Senaka’s work is not just about facts and sightings as it’s about the emotions, the silence of the wild, and the thrill of discovery. His writing, often hurriedly typed on his phone while bouncing through rugged landscapes, captures moments as they unfold. This raw storytelling, paired with his stunning photography, brings the reader closer to the wild than ever before. 

A legacy beyond the wild 

Senaka’s mission extends beyond exploration. All profits from “The World of the Black Leopard” will support Rotary for Little Hearts, a project raising $1 million for Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Sri Lanka. The initiative aims to expand intensive care and surgical facilities for children born with congenital heart disease.

“Every year, 3,500 children in Sri Lanka are born with congenital heart disease. Approximately 1,500 of them require life-saving surgery, but many perish due to long waiting lists and lack of intervention,” notes, Rotary for Little Hearts, District 3220 Sri Lanka and Maldives Chair, Dinali Bandaranayake.

By purchasing this book, readers are not just embarking on an extraordinary journey as they are saving lives. 

A book that demands to be savoured 

With its blend of adventure, conservation, and raw human experience, ‘The World of the Black Leopard’ is an invitation. It calls upon readers to see the world through the eyes of an explorer, to appreciate the vanishing wilderness, and to understand our responsibility toward it.

As Senaka shared – for Senaka, the greatest reward is not wealth or recognition, but the chance to inspire others. The World of the Black Leopard is a testament to his unbreakable bond with nature – and to the power of storytelling in shaping a better future.