Wild Things

Leopards may have star billing at Jhalana, but it is the diversity of the supporting cast of flora and fauna that awes ChirantanKhastgir.

- Chirantan Khastgir

Jhalana Doongri Industrial Area near Jaipur harbours an unlikely 20-square-kilometre oasis. It is home to well-catalogued leopards, spotted deer, blue bulls, hyenas and an array of migratory birds perched atop internationally imported fauna. The day begins before the birds wake up, and a short ride, a cup of mildly hot but richly creamy Rajasthani tea and a couple of morning chills later, I find myself waiting for the government pass at the gates of the Jhalana Safari Park. While it might not seem that big a deal, the tube light on the wall I have grown used to isn’t here anymore, and the forest with all its shadows comes vividly awake.

The area has increasingly received attention after the state government’s ambitious Project Leopard was introduced to protect the apex predators, which are listed at par with the tigers under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972. The 2018 waterhole census, which was carried out after a logistically driven midsummer drying of half of the 16 artificial waterholes, revealed that the leopard count has gone up by 31.5 per cent in one year. This 24-strong leap, however, fell by two owing to alleged territorial disputes brought on by similar factors, including construction in and around the park’s core. The leopards here have grown accustomed to both tourists and their shutters, but the upheaval of huge territories (averaging 70 square kilometres per individual in the wild) must still take some getting used to.