The Only Place in India Where Leopards Roam Free Among Villages

The Only Place in India Where Leopards Roam Free Among Villages

Bera (also referred to as Jawai-Bera) is an uncommon place in between the Aravalli hills, between Udaipur and Jodhpur, where leopards co-exist with man. In this case, the villages merge with granite mountains, and the outcrops, caves, thorn scrub, and scrubland give perfect habitats to the leopards. These big cats are coexisting with the villagers; more so, the Rabari community, who do not view them as a danger but as divine protectors.

Here, the leopards feel at ease to stroll about the villages, to sit on the steps of the temples, to pass in the early evening in front of the houses, or to take their seats on the ledges of the rocks and survey the villages. Despite this proximity, humans have been virtually attacked in the past decades. Leopards do feed on livestock, yet the locals do not retaliate. It has been a spiritual and cultural relationship as the Rabaris believe that leopards are associated with their gods, and whenever the livestock is stolen, it is offered as a sacrifice instead of an occasion to be angry.

Due to this harmony, Bera and Jawai have turned out to be amazing landscapes where wildlife exists. The Jawai Bandh Leopard Conservation Reserve was created on the basis of the conservation of this special ecosystem. The densities of the leopards here are one of the highest in India outside the protected sanctuaries, with an estimated 50-60 leopards per area. Wildlife photographers, nature lovers and tourists are also attracted to the place, particularly by the way the animals are bold without much fear, but how the human beings are considerate.

It has not been by chance that such coexistence has occurred. What comes out of it is a location where individuals coexist with the existence of a large carnivore, not in fear.

Bera and Jawai cannot be compared to anything except those who want to encounter something that is extremely rare in nature, which is having a landscape that is controlled freely, where wild leopards roam around, and danger is not so much to be experienced. It serves as a living reminder that in this day and age, there are still ways to be old-fashioned and still be nature-oriented and sustainable.