Jawai, a Den for Leopards

India

Jawai, a Den for Leopards

It’s 8.30 pm and you have reached Bandra Terminus @Mumbai to board Train No 09707 to reach Jawai in Rajasthan by 11 am next morning. Located on the shore of the river and a Dam by the same name – Jawai, a den for Leopards is located within Rajasthan’s Pali district. The reputation of Pali as a haven for leopards has attracted scores of wild life enthusiasts not only from India but from across the globe.

The serene picturesque hills of Jawai, also known as Leopard hills, constitute of metamorphic rocks that have transformed itself into hard granite enduring atmospheric pressures over past millions of years. This metamorphosis has also resulted in the formation of natural caves and rock shelters making an ideal and secure home for leopards.

Aravali Nature Luxury Camp

Pushpinder Singh, the owner of Aravali Nature Camp where you plan to stay for the next 3 nights has sent a private taxi at the station to get you at his camp. On reaching here you are warmly welcomed by the camp manager Raghuveer Singh who soon escorts you to one of the four neatly constructed tent-cottages built amidst tranquil wilderness.

So after refreshing yourself you proceed towards the spacious dining area where you are served with a typical Rajasthani cuisine of lunch. The affection with which you are attended to speaks volumes of the Rajasthani culture and its hospitality.

In the next couple of hours, you shall be embarking on the first of the six safaris scheduled during the three-day stay here. (The duration of each safari is approximately 2hrs 30 mins which could be extended in case of any interesting sighting. The morning safari usually begins at 6 am and evening at 4.00 pm)

Day 1 – 1st Safari

It’s 4.00 pm and you are introduced to Vijay Singh, the driver of the jeep. Erudite Pushpinder Singh too joins. You are now all set for the possible rendezvous with the magnificent wild spotted cats of Jawai. The adventure into the alluring hills here hence begins.

After driving for around 30 minutes, you reach the Zone called ‘Sena’. This is the place where leopardess Laxmi lives with her two cubs.

Interestingly there are few locals called trackers who are assigned the job of tracking the movement of leopards in their respective areas. Presumably compensated for this job by safari owners.

However, not able to locate Laxmi anywhere over the surrounding hills, Pushpinder rightly advises Vijay to park the Jeep in a secluded place and wait for her to come out of her hiding.

So as you wait for Laxmi to emerge, there are some interesting avian around that attract your attention. To make best of your time, you settle then for ‘Panchis'(birds) instead of ‘Laxmi’. And they include:

Serendipity soon strikes. Suddenly far away Pushpinder spots one of Laxmi’s cub peeping from above a solid rock. You are astonished! How could this tiny, nearly camouflaged, head be spotted from such a distance. Experience counts, probably. So you get a glimpse of the first Leopard of this tour- ‘Laxmi’s Cub’ though not she herself.

May be next time you could be more lucky, you tell to yourself before leaving.

As a matter of fact Laxmi had given birth to 4 cubs out of which 3 were males and 1 was female. Sadly 2 among these 3 male cubs were killed by an adult male leopard named “6B”, ostensibly to reduce future competition. Law of the Jungle? Possible!

Then on one of the steep slope of a granite hill, the jeep is halted and you are served with customary Tea and some light snacks. This marks the culmination of your reasonably satisfying adventure @Jawai on day 1.

On returning to the Camp, you pick your camera and other paraphernalia and reach your cottage. The enticing weather prods you to request the manager to arrange for some hard drink. Luckily he has a sealed Vodka bottle with him which he gladly offers to your delight.

Post dinner, you get back to your cottage for the night’s rest. The next morning safari is scheduled to start at 6 am sharp.

Day 2 – 1st Safari

It’s 6 am and you are already near the jeep with camera and allied accessories. Fingers crossed you leave with Vijay to explore some different location.

In the next one hour you are into the Varaval Zone. This is where Neelam lives with her cubs.

As you move around looking around for a possible sighting, Vijay drives you over a steep hill which shockingly is near perpendicular to the ground. Your heart gets literally in you mouth as you could never imagine someone can drive up like this. What if it tumbles? you question to yourself. This was beyond anticipation.

Left with no other option you convince yourself to trust Vijay’s experience and his driving skills. Once on top, Vijay pulls out his binoculars and scans the area 360⁰. But there seems to be no sign of Neelam nor her cubs.

Meanwhile, you get to see the lucky mascot – Greater Coucal – once again. Now your hopes are ratcheted. And why not? Yesterday you spotted Laxmi’s cub only after sighting Coucal.

Now you are optimist of the spotted cat being located sooner than later. So with added confidence and enthusiasm you climb down this steep intimidating hill and go around scouting. And its not too long when your luck strikes.

Neelam’s Cub

Behind the bushes near the abandoned quarry and under the heap of granite stones you see this beautiful and inarguably charming cub of leopardess Neelam silently sitting. You are overjoyed as you establish an eye contact with this cutie.

With incredible eagerness you pull out your camera and do what you are here for. Click! Click! and Click!. Despite knowing what you are doing, this cub continues to remain accommodating.

Your trust in Cocul as a lucky mascot is further enhanced. In the midst of this, information comes to Vijay of another leopard sighting happening in a place falling under Kothar zone.

So hurriedly the jeep is turned towards Kothar zone. This is the area that supposedly is the fiefdom of leopardess Jiya.

Jiya & Cubs

Here, deep over one of the hill you are thrilled to see leopardess Jiya moving around. Your excitement is boosted manifolds knowing that she’s not alone but has her cubs in tow too. You could easily identify two of her three cubs up there.

Your camera follows them as they cross over from one hill to another and ultimately into where their permanent hideout probably lies.

After the culmination of this enthralling safari, you are once again back at the camp. Its 11 am and your breakfast is ready. Hungry as you are, you rush to the dinning hall for some well made Omelet bread coupled with some extra snacks.

Post breakfast, on the short way back to your cottage your luck continues to stay along. Over the tree across your cottage this White Throated Kingfisher is having a freshly hunted toad in its beak. A nice click that is now saved in your camera.

Nearby you watch this laughing dove with colorful plumage looking at this Kingfisher. Out of jealously? No, no .. #JustJoking

Later after lunch and some rest you prepare for the 2nd safari of the 2nd day.

Day 2 – 2nd Safari

It’s 4pm and like yesterday you are once again ready to venture into these fascinating hills for the next 2 to 3 hrs.

Vijay suggests, let’s go to the same place i.e. Varaval zone, where you had encountered Neelam’s cub during the morning safari. Hopefully to see his mother too this time.

And you faith is rewarded. No sooner you reach there, there’s Neelam sitting behind the bushes full of green leaves. It’s difficult therefore to capture her image as the camera’s auto-focus mode would continue to shift focus on leaves making her look blurry.

In such a scenario though you may succeed in getting the overall picture but Neelam would herself remain be out of focus. This obviously would make the whole exercise redundant.

Fortunately, it strikes you the remedy to overcome such acute conundrum. To picture an object in such a challenging scenario you will have to shift you camera’s focusing mode from ‘auto to manual’. Once done focus manually on Neelam behind the bushes and making the leaves look blurry instead.

You are now able to capture her images correctly to the delight of not only yourself but to everyone’s delight around. Few visitors like you around literally jump down from their respective jeeps to view her images in your camera’s LCD Screen.

Now you along with others wait for some more time expecting her to come out. But she has some other plans. As it gets dark, her cubs are seen coming out of the den from behind to join her. However with such dim lights and over that they having moved further away, there was no point continuing to stay there.

Vijay nevertheless attempts to follow them but this cat family has succeeded in hoodwinked all.

Once back, with some left over vodka followed by delicious non-vegetarian dinner you are off to bed in anticipation of another fruitful safari no.4 tomorrow.

Day 3 -1st Safari

It’s 6 am, the camp lights are still on even as the day prepares to break. You are ready to proceed for the 1st safari of this 3rd day and the 4th of this tour.

As if guilty of not having shown her presence properly in the previous evening, Neelam presumably has travelled overnight to a more open environment within the same zone albeit.

Based in information from a tracker, Vijay rushes to the advised area where you see Neelam seated right on the edge of a cliff above as if looking for you to arrive.

Not sure what she would do next, you immediately take few of her record shots.

After ensuring you have taken her pictures, she then walks away presumably towards her cubs.

The area is open hence following her is not much of a hinderance. It is not long before you see one of her beautiful cub walking over the barren granite hill. This inquisitive little fellow watches you intriguingly and you point you camera towards him/her.

After you drive on the other side of the hill, you get one more chance to see Neelam as she comes out from within a natural cave within the rock. In under a minute she returns back post registering her presence.

Subsequently as you scan the area, you are happy to see an amazing Indian or Rock Eagle Owl perched on a rock little away on to your left. Unable to stand a troublesome naughty crow around, it takes to air showing off its attractive wings and to find a more peaceful place.

This however marks the culmination of this part of the leopard safari.

Interestingly the bonuses are still to come. So just as you prepare to leave post customary tea and snacks session, you see this sparrow like Greater Short Toed Lark moving around on the ground with some furry insect in her beak.

Later on the way back you request Vijay to take you through the way where you can get some exotic birds to look at. Sweet person as he is, he obliges and then while you are on this different track you are elated observing avian with interesting plumage as shown below :

But what heightens your excitement is this beautiful black-white Pied Kingfisher that you have heard of but have come across it for the first time.

Needless to say, you tirelessly take its pictures till she herself feels enough is enough and flies off.

Dev Giri Temple

Day 3 – 2nd safari

So after lunch and some rest, just like yesterday, you begin the evening safari at sharp 4pm. Vijay is on the wheel with his usual enthusiasm.

Minutes after you are out of the camp, Vijay gets the message of leopardess Jiya been sighted along with her cubs at the Kothar Zone. So without losing time, you accelerate towards the indicated site situated around 20lms from where you are.

All through the journey you keep fingers crossed hoping that this family continues to remain there till you reach.

So as you reach there, Jiya does not disappoint you. She is still very much there ensconced under the natural shelter carved within the granite rock.

After spending hours capturing their various movements, you decide to leave leaving them alone to themselves. Though some other visitors still prefer to stay back.

On the way a male Leopard named ‘Hera’ is sighted. But before you could aim your camera towards him, this shy male hides himself behind thick bushes with alacrity and then smoothly vanishes.

The camaraderie between the glistening skin leopards and the locals here is telling. The no harm record by either to the other in the past is a testimony of a tacit trust prevailing between the two. The Leopard and Human live here in commendable harmony.

Incidentally the young and dynamic Pushpinder Singh, the owner of the Aravali Nature Luxury Camp is perceived as the pioneer in creating awareness for the need and significance to protect the syncretic wild life in here. A move that has won him numerous friends and few foes as well.

The sun has now set below the horizon. Its become late since the camp not so near. So Vijay rightfully speed towards the camp culminating the penultimate 5th safari and 2nd of the day.

So in the repeat of last evening’s itinerary i.e. vodka followed by a delicious Fish meal, prepared on special request, you sign off for the day.

Day 4 – 6th and final safari of this tour

As originally planned, you have saved one of the six safaris exclusive for birding. So Jawai Dam is to be the obvious choice to make this safari fruitful.

Its 8 am morning, this is when the birds are usually out time coinciding as the sun light starts to glow.

Then as you are on the way to this famous Jawai Dam, on the way you come across is an Osprey perched high over the tree to your right and a pair of Ashy Crowned Sparrow (male) who seems to be scanning the ground for some possible morning meal.

Soon thereafter Vijay drives you over a steep hill once again with an assurance to spot the coveted and sought after Indian/Rock Owl Eagle. (The same species that you had seen a day earlier with scientific name – Bubo bengalensis). And he is perfectly right in his assessment.

You are thrilled to see right in front of you this large horned, red eyed, brown-grey colored spectacular Owl with white throat patch and small black stripes over it.

It keeps moving in short flights from one rock to another as you try to get closer to it till it finally gets fed-up and flies off.

Back on the track towards the Dam, you come across Purple Sunbird incessantly calling out and then this attractive Isabelline Weaver with Yellow-brown plumage.

Jawai Bandh

Other Birds with various plumages see around include

Then comes this colorful couple – Red Rumped Swallow

You then request Vijay to take you to the same place where you had spotted Pied Kingfisher yesterday. And as you reach there, you are in for a pleasant bonus. There is not one but two seen on a branch just above the water body. Excitedly you go ahead with your clicks.

A little later they both fly allowing you to have them captured in flight.

As you follow them you find one of them perched on a branch of a dry tree not too far from here. So few more clicks follow.

And before you conclude and decide to return, near the same water body you get to click Pond heron and a pitch black drango.

Its time now to return. On the way back you see this Hoppoe or Common Hoppoe bidding sayonara in its own inimitable style. Ok, Let’s take you along too in the camera and you do the needful.

So after the end of this final safari, you thank Vijay profusely for making this trip exceptionally exciting and thus incredibly memorable.

It’s time to pack-up now and leave. Raguveer Singh, the manager has called for the taxi to drop you at the station. Since there is still time for the train to reach, Raguveer Singh suggests that we might as well visit a well known Rata Mahavir Jain Temple that’s not very far from here in the intervening period.

So after thanking Raguveer ji, the Cook and other staff members of the camp for their sincere hospitality you then proceed on a 45 minutes drive towards this sacred Mandir.

Rata Mahavir Jain Temple

This beautiful 4th Century ancient Rata Mahavir Jain Mandir is famous for its unique 135 cm tall idol of Shri Majavir ji seated in padmasan position. This exclusive idol is made up of brick-sand-calcium giving it a mesmerizing reddish(rata) hue.

Post this truly enlightening darshan, you proceed to the Jawai Band Station once again, this time to return back to you own city of Mumbai packed with some unforgettable memories.

Bhupender

April 24, 2021