A WILD encounter

In northwest India, a rewilding project has not only created a sanctuary for endangered wildlife, it has also ensured the survival of local communities, writes Julietta Jameson.

- Julietta Jameson

Within minutes of arriving at Suján Jawai, a Relais & Chateaux-affiliated safari camp in the state of Rajasthan, our driver catches sight of a full-grown female leopard. She’s high up, but out in the open, and in no hurry to leave. If you’ve ever been on safari, you’ll know leopard sightings are a rare treat. The most elusive of the big cats, they are generally shy, and their rosetted fur disguises them most efficiently. So, this is a transcendent moment – and across our two-night stay, there will be plenty more.

Giving back 

We are on a private itinerary organised by Banyan Tours in the Godwar region of Rajasthan. An otherworldly landscape with tracts of ancient rock hills flanking the seasonal Jawai River. The river empties into the Jawai Bandh, one of the largest reservoirs in the state.

Since the dam wall was completed in 1957, the reservoir has become a refuge for many migratory birds, even flamingos. And in the surrounding countryside, terrestrial animals thrive, including leopards. That is also in large part thanks to the efforts of Suján, a boutique, responsible tourism company with three luxury wildlife properties in Rajasthan. The company’s ethos of benefiting local communities and preserving the native wildlife and their habitats is epitomised at Jawai.