Another pose of a leopard cub resting on the rocks of Bera, Rajasthan, India.
A Leopard Cub Resting
Category Archives: India
Black-headed Ibis on a Rocky River
Low water levels in the river in Bera expose the rocky landscape, but still provide pockets of water for a black-headed Ibis – a large wader with a white body and bare black head and neck. Males and females look similar and both have grayish tail feathers.
Leopard Cub Posing on the Rocks
A leopard cub poses on the rocks in Bera, Rajasthan, India. The one on the top right is turning its back!
Early Morning at Lake Jowai
Water curves of Lake Jowai early in the morning at Bera. A lonely Ruddy Shelduck known as the Brahminy duck in India stands in the water.
Another Sunrise in Bera
Another beautiful sunrise in the hills of Bera, Rajasthan, India.
Birds in Bera
Bera is situated in close proximity to the Jawai Dam and lake and is the destination for leopard sightings, but where one can also spot more than 150 species of birds.
Camels in Bera
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 at the Cave
Leopard cubs take shelter at a protected cave in Bera, Rajasthan.
In Leopard Territory
Despite the dangers of attack by leopards on their livestock, the shepherds in Bera, Rajasthan have lived in harmony for years and avoided conflict.
Leopard Peeping
A shy leopard peeps out from the shelter of a cave in Bera, Rajasthan.
Leopard Resting at the Cave
A leopard choosing to stay hidden behind grass and close to a faraway cave in Bera, Rajasthan, India
Leopard Barely Visible
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.
Caves for Leopards
Hummocks with serene caves along with the Jawai river and dam create a perfect habitat for leopards to roam around and thrive. In many of these rocky structures, the entrance is a low-hanging cave — often with leopards and their young living in it. Leopards generally venture out only for a few hours during the day making the timing to watch them critical.
Rocky Habitat for Leopards
Bera, nested in the Aravalli mountain ranges of India, forms a beautiful and serene backdrop to the world’s most outstanding opportunities for leopard photography. Amongst spellbinding, billion-year-old granite rock formations, leopards roam wild and free, coexisting comfortably with the charismatic communities around Bera, Rajasthan, India. It is home to a vibrant population of approximately fifty leopards. It is a relatively small area blessed with an exceptional density of the iconic cats that live on a rocky terrain that was seemingly designed for photographers (with very long lenses).
Birding at Lake Jawai
Bird watching in Jawai is another most fascinating and alluring activity of Jawai and Bera because Jawai Bandh is the stopover of many migratory birds and ducks. The tranquil lake also houses crocodiles. Will be posting later photos of birds spotted in this area.
Lake Jawai Panorama
Jawai Bandh was constructed in Rajasthan across the Jawai River, a tributary of the Luni River. Jawai got importance in 1946, when Umaid Singh started building a dam there. Prior to that, it was just an area with some granite hills and a river, uninteresting to tourists or the government. Now, it is a beautiful landscape.
Lake Jowai
Close to Bera, lie the river Jawai and the Jawai dam. The result of these two structures is a lake-like water body. A scenic place amidst the hills is home to some of the biggest crocodiles apart from a number of resident and migratory birds.
Sunrise over Bera
A beautiful sunrise greets us in Bera, Rajasthan, India as we begin our search for leopards.
Trip to Bera, Rajasthan
Hidden in the belly of Rajasthan, Bera is a small town in Pali district with a considerable number of leopards but very few tourists. Bera was hardly known amongst the wild lifers, however of late it is gaining popularity and also known as leopard country. We ventured to Bera to hopefully spot leopards in a different setting than Gir National Park in Gujarat, India.
Castle Bera is the ancestral home of the Royal family of Bera, whose lineage dates back 400 years to the Legendary warrior King Maharana Pratap of Udaipur (Mewar). Castle Bera, built in 1638, is a luxury, award-winning Heritage Homestay hotel in Jawai Bera. We enjoyed the hospitality at the palace while looking for leopards.
Flowers on a Leafless Tree
Flowers still grace the Frangipani or Plumeria tree though most of the leaves have fallen off creating an interesting image from India.
