Second anniversary of Loris watching at Jetwing Vil Uyana

Jetwing Vil Uyana resident naturalist Chaminda Jayasekara first heard the unmistakable high pitched whistle of a Grey Slender Loris back in July 2010 with the call coming from within the forested area which was inaccessible at the time. After reporting the finding, a nature trail was created and a pathway was cut through the forest over the next few months.

“I started the trail at 7.30pm with a special red light emitting torch which does not harm the sensitive eyes of the loris. After 10 minutes, suddenly I could see one red-eye but I did not pay more attention to it at first as usually both eyes glow brightly. But, after a few seconds, I could see that this was indeed a Loris, moving around a tree about 2 metres up from the ground. This particular individual must have had an eye problem as for the entire duration of a 10 minute sighting, as I could only see one red-eye”, recalls Chaminda on his first sighting which occurred on the 20th October 2010. This was soon followed by regular sightings of the loris along the nature trail and Jetwing Vil Uyana soon began to offer special nocturnal Loris watching tours, the first of its kind in the country, and to date over 200 successful excursions have been run.  

On the 31st May 2012, in another breakthrough sighting a baby loris was observed on the back of its mother for the first time, indicating that the loris are now residing and breeding within the scrub thickets and forested habitats of the hotel. Chaminda’s observations over the past two years have enabled him to identify at least seven individual loris, and the nature trail has recently been declared as a Loris Conservation Site by Jetwing.  In August this year, to further increases awareness and conservation efforts, a Loris Information Centre was opened displaying facts and a wide array of images of this widely misunderstood and elusive creatures.

The Grey Slender Loris along with the Red Loris, Toque Macaque, Grey Langur and the Purple-faced Leaf Monkey is one of the five species of primates found in Sri Lanka. The subspecies is endemic to Sri Lanka, and is threatened with habitat destruction across its range. Through the Jetwing Research Initiative which has over the years supported studies on the Sri Lankan Leopard, Dragonflies and Primates, Chaminda hopes that his ongoing research can identify behavioral characteristics as well as threats faced by the Grey Slender Loris in Sri Lanka and use his findings to promote loris watching for the tourism industry; thus aiding the conservation of the species and its habitats.

Winner of the prestigious internationally acclaimed 2012 HICAP award for Sustainable Project Design, Jetwing Vil Uyana is possibly the first hotel in the world to create a wetland eco-system from land which was previously used for slash and burn irrigation. Comprising water bodies extending over 1.6 hectares, a growing forest habitat of 1.2 hectares and 2 hectares of paddy land were created thereby significantly increasing the area’s biodiversity, which has been monitored since 2005.

At present, over 80 species of birds, 17 species of mammals, 36 butterfly species and 21 species of reptiles and amphibians have been recorded. Apart from the Loris, some of the other wildlife highlights include Fishing Cat, Mouse Deer and Otter. A Mugger Crocodile takes up his residence at the property during the dry season from around May through to October and each winter, a pair of migratory Eurasian Thicknee are seen close to the swimming pool.

Family owned and in the tourism industry for the past 39 years, Jetwing Hotels has surpassed expectation at every aspect. Building on their foundation of being passionate, as well as the experience of true, traditional Sri Lankan hospitality, constantly pioneering discoveries captures the essence of the brand. Such a strong statement and direction have enabled Jetwing Hotels to imagine, create and manage marvels and masterpieces, where distinctive design and elegant comfort complement each other and the environment. Considered a priority, sustainable and responsible practice is implemented through the award winning Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme; with energy efficiency, community upliftment, and education of earth saving measures to schoolchildren being a few tenets of the Programme.