One of my fellow members of the Catawba Valley Camera Club, Hickory – Judy Young is also a pencil sketch artist. She used my lion photo from Gir National Park, Gujarat, India to create a pencil art piece. Wonderful rendition by Judy!
As the sun sets in Bera, Rajasthan, India the gypsy riders end their safari and so do we after our journey to search for leopards. So long India until we visit again!
Langurs play around on the rocky terrain in Bera, Rajasthan. The gray langur is sometimes referred to as the Hanuman langur, named after the monkey-god Hanuman. As such, gray langurs are considered sacred in the Hindu religion
Another pose of a leopard cub resting on the rocks of Bera, Rajasthan, India.
A leopard cub poses on the rocks in Bera, Rajasthan, India. The one on the top right is turning its back!
Spotted two domesticated camels in the leopard terrain in Bera. The ring on the male camel’s nose is to control him, while the female is adorned with decorative marks.
Leopard cubs take shelter at a protected cave in Bera, Rajasthan.
A shy leopard peeps out from the shelter of a cave in Bera, Rajasthan.
A leopard choosing to stay hidden behind grass and close to a faraway cave in Bera, Rajasthan, India
Due to the rocky terrain at Bera, Rajasthan, safari vehicles could not get close to the leopards. As a a high focal length lens was not available, here is one leopard barely visible sitting on a rocky ledge way up on a hill.
The Indian leopard has strong legs and a long well-formed tail, a broad muzzle, short ears, and small, yellowish-grey eyes, light grey ocular bulbs. Its coat is spotted and rosetted on a pale yellow to the yellowish-brown or golden background. Leopards are elusive, and solitary animals. They are active mainly from dusk till dawn but in some regions, they are nocturnal.Â
 Here is a leopard on the move, crouching low to the ground as if stalking something in Gir National Park.
The Lion is probably the biggest enemy of the Leopard and a fight to the death will ensue when they come into contact. Hyenas and Baboons have also been known to attack and kill Leopards, in particular the young cubs. Leopards climb trees to survey the surrounding area for food, stay cool in the shade, store their prey and, most importantly, escape potential danger.
A leopard in full stride at Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
One can identify most leopards by their light color and distinctive dark spots. Those spots are called rosettes, because they resemble the shape of a rose. The coloration on leopards and many other animals has evolved because it helps them survive better. In the case of leopards, the alternating dark and light blends into the shadows and sunlight patches in the grasslands or forest where they live and makes it easier for them to sneak up on the the animals they hunt.
A young leopard strolls through Gir National Park …
Indian Leopard or Leopards are elusive and one of the most beautiful and most loved Big Cat among all the Big Cat Species. The feline is ‘smaller’ as compared to the other member of the big cat family. Indian Leopard can adapt itself to varying environments with ease and because of this, is the most successful in an era of habitat destruction, poaching and progressively increasing invasive human settlements!
Here is a young leopard walking in Gir National Park.
Apart from the Asiatic lion, Gir National Park also has a sizeable number of another elusive cat—the Indian leopard. Gujarat is the only state in India where lions and leopards have coexisted. According to the last census of leopards carried out in 2016, their population was 1,395 across Gujarat of which about 450 were in Junagadh and Gir-Somnath.Â
Captured different expressions of a lion resting in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
A lion staring at something from behind branches at Gir National Park.
Closeup images of a lion sleeping and nearly dozing off in Gir National Park.
While this image might be sensitive to some, here is a lion protecting a buffalo kill from hyenas and other animals in Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
Lionesses are the primary hunters of the pride. They are smaller and more agile than males and they use teamwork to bring an animal down. After a successful hunt, all the lions in the pride share the meal. But there is a pecking order, with the adult males eating first, followed by the lionesses and finally the cubs.
A lioness strolling at Gir National Park, Gujarat, India.
Photos by Ravi 