It was late afternoon when I reached Bera, 140km from Udaipur in Rajasthan. The Aravalli hill ranges surrounding the village stood tall in the afternoon light. And in the caves and crannies of these hills reside leopards. I was in ‘leopard country’!
As soon as I arrived, my guide, Pushpendra Ranawat received information that Tara—one of the 30-40 leopards inhabiting the 11 hillocks of Bera—could be out on a stroll. If we made haste, we could catch a glimpse of her. And so, I joined him for an evening safari. I was excited thinking about the possibility of sighting Tara no sooner than I had arrived. As we approached the hills, I could hear roars, not of leopards, but safari jeeps. Astonished, I asked Ranawat, “How did a safari jeep get permission to go up the hills? Are there no restrictions at all?” He said that this had become a major concern, as it disturbs the leopards and other fauna.
To my great excitement, Tara soon emerged from a cave. I started clicking immediately, as it was close to sundown and the light was fading. But my enthusiasm was short-lived. Tara disappeared. However, I kept my eyes, camera and telephoto lens glued for a sighting. A member from another team assured me that she might soon be out on the prowl.
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