Srilal follows ‘Tranquil Footsteps’

'Tranquil Footsteps', the dream book of Srilal Miththapala, was launched last week Srilal is a serious wildlife and nature enthusiast with a penchant for elephants. 'Tranquil Footsteps' a long awaited dream of Srilal Miththapala which tells the story about the elephants of Udawalawe National Park and it traces the life of a female elephant and her family, living in the Uda Walawe National Park during the period of 1998-2002.

The story is told through the 'eyes' of the matriarch elephant and she recalls all her experiences, trials and tribulations of day to day life in the National Park, with flashbacks to her childhood, the death of her mother, and the subsequent transition of the mantle of leadership on to her shoulders.

Her interaction with other herds and individuals, detailed descriptions of the park and other fauna, are all interwoven into the story.

The book encompasses a wealth of information about elephants, wildlife and Uda Walawe National Park of Sri Lanka, in general. The author's deep rooted interest and love for wildlife and elephants is abundantly manifested through the matriarch's story of her life.

Miththapala is a serious wildlife and nature enthusiast with a fondness to elephants. He is a regular lecturer at the Wildlife and Nature Forum and has given talks on elephants and environment to many of the schools in Colombo and outstations as well and has been the guest speaker for a number of associations.

In 2002 he undertook a field research program in Mobility Patterns and Population Dynamics of Sri Lankan Elephants in the Uda Walawe National Park under the sponsorship of US Fish and Wildlife Services. He presented his findings at the International Symposium on Human Elephant Relationship and Conflict held in September 2003.

The launch of the book was sponsored by Hotel Sigiriya, as Mr. Miththapala is the CEO/ Director of Serendib Leisure, the managing company of Sigiriya Hotel. He has been the driving force behind the success of this hotel and a role model for greening practices.

He graduated from the University of Moratuwa, earning a B.Sc in Engineering specializing in Electrical Power, and worked for a short period in Nova Scotia, Canada. He is a Chartered Electrical Engineer, and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineering, London.