The safety of big cats has always become the pivotal point of every wildlife conservation movement. That’s because they become easy targets of poachers and smugglers who deal with animal skins, teeth, fur, and even cubs.
We all know about the ‘Project Tiger’ that was launched back in 1973 to save the Bengal tigers from extinction. With modern technology, forest officials and conservationists are now able to track the number and movement of big cats more efficiently.
The usage of chip-enabled collars, cameras, and other GPS devices has given fruitful results and the number of big cats has significantly increased in the last few years.
Besides the tiger, the number of leopards has also seen positive trends, the latter can now be seen more often in viral videos infiltrating into the human settlements. Needless to mention that these stealthy encounters also need to be stopped as they have always turned disastrous for the clueless animal.
Rajasthan has done an impressive job in securing the habitat of tigers and leopards, here you can see them flourishing in wildlife reserves without any incident of poaching or human-wildlife conflicts.
Therefore, we have come up with a list of all the sanctuaries and wildlife reserves in Rajasthan that have able to provide a nurturing environment to leopards.
List of Top 5 Leopard Sanctuaries in Rajasthan, India
1. jawai bandh leopard conservation reserve
It was officially announced as a leopard reserve in 2010 but the popularity of this place has started to grow massive recently. You can attribute it to the increasing interest of hoteliers and safari tour providers as well, but what truly strikes you as a visitor is the co-existence of leopards and humans in this region.
Leopards have been dwelling in the granite hills of Jawai where a number of the temple have also been carved. These temples have their priests and also host a considerable number of visitors but not even once an attack by leopard has been reported.
The area surrounding the Jawai dam becomes a grazing point for the cattle as herders find more greenery here. No shepherd has reported an animal on cattle when they are with them. Leopards so snatch some of them once in a while but not when they are escorted by a human with a long wooden staff. Mostly leopards feed on dogs and other small animals but never on a human.
That’s the reason Jawai is emerging as a big attraction for wildlife photographers, bird-watchers, and thrill-seekers. The huge variety of migratory birds, crocodiles, and various other animals are also a great attraction for the visitors here.
2. Jhalana Wildlife Sanctuary
Nestled around the urban sprawl of Jaipur, this sanctuary can amaze you with its diverse wildlife. The leopards are of course the main attraction for every visitor here and their number is also increasing for the past few years.
Here, you can this stealthy creature prey on other animals at night and day as well. Like many other wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan, the variety of birds can be found here too. You also get a chance to witness many other species of animals who could entirely amaze you with their traits and appearance.
The locals often get to spot nilgai and a variety of deers in areas adjoining the human settlements. But to sight the leopards, you need to go a little deeper into the jungle through a safari.
3. Bera Leopard Conservation Area
Leopard safari bera is contiguous to Jawai and therefore, it also becomes a spot where you can see plenty of leopards. There are lots of caves in these hills where the big cats take shelter, they come out in order to find food and water.
The best time to spot remains morning and evening, as per the locals, they perch themselves on the rocks and observe the entire area for finding its prey.
Luckily, it doesn’t come for them, rather for their livestock some times. Mostly, the leopards hunt on smaller animals such as dogs and games. Thus, there is no reason for humans to be afraid of them and one can easily take a safari tour in this area without any worries.
4. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
Another place where you can find plenty of greenery and wildlife, apart from leopards, this place becomes a habitat for a large variety of species. It covers a sizable area of Aravalli range and becomes a part of Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion as well. Besides the leopard, you can also spot hyena, golden jackal, sloth bear, Indian wolf, jungle cat, chausingha, nilgai, sambhar, Indian hare, and chinkara here.
If you talk about the birddom, then you get to see white-breasted kingfisher, dove, bulbul, grey pigeon, golden oriole, parakeet, red spurfowl, peacocks, and grey junglefowl. This sanctuary has also been chosen for Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project as per the decree of the Supreme Court of India.
5. Sita Mata Sanctuary Pratapgarh
Located at the juncture of the Malwa Plateau, the Aravalli Ranges, and the Vindhyachal, this sanctuary became a protected zone back in 1979. Apart from the different landscapes, it also becomes a confluence point for multiple rivers that include Tankiya, Budho, Sita Mata, Jakham, and Karmoi. Like the previous entrant, this one has also preserved a great diversity of wildlife with species like antelopes, sloth bears, jungle cats, nilgai, hyenas, sambhar besides Indian leopard.
Bird-watchers too get to see much more with species like grey jungle fowl, white-breasted kingfisher, parakeets, golden oriole, peacocks, bulbuls, pigeons, etc.
Ranthambore and Sariska are two other wildlife that has focused on the survival of tigers in the state. However, a small number of leopards can also be found there. Since the latter is smaller in size, they are often driven out by the former.
But leopards are solitary and depend on stealth more than strength for a hunt, they are also good at adapting different situations and that’s the reason they can also be found in mountains. Leopards of Jawai show you another example of the adaptable of this species, unlike the other forest reserve in India, Jawai has granite hills and yet it has become a suitable habitat for them.
About Thour Nature Resorts
Thour Nature Resort gives a chance to visit this place an amazing leopard safari ride and a luxurious stay in the finest glamping tents. With us, you can come closer to this region and observe the splendid beauty of this species along with a great variety of birds, crocodiles, and various other animals.
For Book Your Stay & Safari, Call & Whatapp : +919784559999 | Email: [email protected]
