About The Yala Naturalist
A Deeper Connection With Sri Lanka’s Wildlife
Meet Naturalist
Gayan Gamage
Born and raised in the Yala area, Gayan Gamage has spent more than 20 years observing, exploring, and guiding in the landscapes he knows so well. His lifelong connection to the region, combined with his experience and passion for wildlife, has shaped his professional life around understanding and sharing Sri Lanka’s remarkable natural heritage.
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A Wealth Of Field Experience
Gayan’s work extends far beyond guiding safari guests. Over the years, he has worked on land and at sea alongside wildlife photographers, scientists, and conservationists from around the world.
His experience also extends into facilitating wildlife filmmaking and documentary production. A few examples include his feature in Wild Crusades: Search for the Secret Bear, and contributions to ZDF’s Nature’s Keepers and the BBC series Wonders of the Monsoon and Planet Earth III – Freshwater, including an episode highlighting the captivating mugger crocodiles of Yala.
Beyond Sri Lanka, Gayan has also guided clients on specialist wildlife experiences in India, including leopard and tiger tracking expeditions, as well as leading wildlife photography tours in Kenya and Tanzania, further broadening his field expertise across some of the world’s most iconic safari landscapes.
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Explore Gayan’s professional profile on LinkedIn:
Conservation
Gayan’s work is deeply rooted in conservation and he believes that responsible wildlife tourism plays an important role in safeguarding ecosystems by encouraging awareness, respect, and sustainable interaction with nature.
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A conservation project Gayan is proud to have been a part of is Project Leopard, an award-winning wildlife conservation and community outreach initiative launched in 2010 by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts through the John Keells Foundation, in cooperation with wildlife filmmakers Jonathan and Angela Scott. The project worked to mitigate human-leopard conflict on the boundaries of Yala National Park by donating sturdy steel livestock pens to rural dairy farmers, helping to prevent retaliatory killings of Sri Lankan leopards and supporting long-term coexistence between communities and wildlife.
Beyond The Field
Wildlife is not simply Gayan’s profession. It is a part of his life.
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A keen wildlife photographer, Gayan enjoys capturing the wildlife and moments he encounters in the field.
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He is also a qualified scuba diver and enthusiastic freediver, allowing him to explore and appreciate Sri Lanka’s natural world both above and below the water.
A Shared Love Of Nature
Gayan shares his passion for nature with his wife, Zara, a British NHS Operating Department Practitioner.
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The two met through their shared love of the natural world, and wildlife and photography have remained an important part of their life together.
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Zara is equally passionate about wildlife and is starting to give Gayan a run for his money behind the camera. Her photography has reached the final judging round of the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition on multiple occasions.
Giving Back To The Community
Their connection with nature also extends to helping animals in need.
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Gayan and Zara both volunteer with Lucas Helps Dogs, supporting the charity’s work with street dogs in the Yala area.
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For them, caring about wildlife and nature also means caring about the animals and communities that share the landscape.
Learn more about Lucas Helps Dogs in Yala.
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