For most people in India Leopards are not as exciting as Tigers in Wild. However in my opinion spotting a Leopard in Wild is even more exciting than spotting a Tiger and what is more important is that getting a good photograph of a Leopard is a much more difficult task that getting the photograph of a Tiger. This is mainly because of the living style of both these species. Tigers are truly the apex predators of the Indian forests and they roam freely in the Jungle many a times on the safari tracks. In facts many of the famously photographed Tigers have been known to be walking on the safari routes. This make spotting and photographing them easier. On the other hand Leopard despite being a big cat species is afraid of Tigers and generally prefers to stay on tree branches. They are not as much fearlessly visible on the tracks as the Tigers. Leopards are known to be shy in nature and avoid human presence. This is the reason they are known as elusive cats and getting a good photograph of a Leopard is actually a great achievement and it requires considerable planning and luck.
This is where the Jhalana and Amagarh Leopard reserves become quite interesting places to spot Leopard in Wild. Both these places are located in the outskirts of Jaipur very close to the city limits and are places dedicated specifically to the conservation of Leopards. Since there are no tigers present here Leopards become the apex species and one can see them roaming fearlessly and without any threat.
Situated in the outskirts of Jaipur and spread in an area of around 15.50 sq km Amagarh was declared a leopard reserve in 2020 and opened for tourism in May 2022. It later became part of the larger Jhalana–Amagarh Leopard Conservation Reserve managed by the Rajasthan Forest Department. Situated on the eastern edge of Jaipur near the famous Galta Ji Temple, Amagarh lies amidst the ancient Aravalli Hills, making it one of the few places in India where a thriving leopard population exists just minutes away from a major city.
The reserve primarily consists of Rocky Aravalli hills, dry deciduous woodland, thorn scrub forest, Seasonal streams and waterholes, narrow valleys and granite outcrops. These rocky landscapes provide perfect denning sites for leopards, while the sparse vegetation allows excellent visibility during hunting.
As per my guide in the reserve, there are around 16-20 leopards present in the reserve at present however spotting them in Amagarh is difficult and the sightings are inconsistent. I myself could not spot any Leopard during my visit. So If your goal is to primarily spot leopards then Jhalana is a much better place than Amagarh. However if you are visiting to photograph Aravali Landscape and coexistence of Human and wildlife then you should pay 1 or 2 visits to Amagarh also.
Apart from Leopard there are other mammal and Bird species present in the reserve as well like Striped Hyena, Golden Jackal, Desert Fox, Jungle Cat, Indian Grey Mongoose, Indian Hare, Nilgai Sambar, Chital, Wild Boar and Indian Porcupine. Among all these the sightings are Striped Hyena is particularly interesting in Amagarh and it is a better place to spot Hyena as compared to Jhalana. Among the bird species Indian Peafowl, Crested Serpent Eagle, Shikra Indian Eagle-Owl, White-throated Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Grey Francolin ,Various warblers, babblers and sunbirds are frequently spotted in the reserve.
I also spotted a pair of Indian Francolin while they were traversing on the safari track.
However apart from all this what surprised me the most here was the peaceful co-existence of Human and Big Cat species like Leopard so close to the city limits. The Aravalis have been natural abode to Leopard since centuries. However due to Human intervention and habitat fragmentation the population of Leopards have been declining in this region. This is perhaps the most important part of this initiative that makes Amagarh special. Another thing that surprised me was extremely low Human-Wildlife conflict in this area despite the Leopard reserve being located so close to the city limits. Upon researching I found quite a few reasons for this.
First and foremost being the presence of A healthy prey base of nilgai, wild boar, hare, and other wild animals which means leopards rely less on livestock and lesser the conflict. Leopards are naturally elusive and largely nocturnal, avoiding people whenever possible. The rugged Aravalli hills provide ample cover and denning sites even close to urban areas. Continuous monitoring and rapid response by the Rajasthan Forest Department help address conflict situations before they escalate. These are some of the lessons to be learnt and replicated elsewhere for conservation success.
The most important lesson to work out here is that in order to protect India’s rich wildlife the peaceful co-existence is the way forward. Conservation is not only about protecting remote wilderness, it is also about finding ways for people and wildlife to share landscapes responsibly.
As I was returning back from the reserve I was just thinking of the two different world that exist so close to each other without disturbing each other and rather complementing each other. The Amagarh and Jhalana Leopard reserves have become a model for the world to follow and one of the key identities of the Jaipur City among the nature lovers.
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