Through Leopards LAIR

Soham Chakraborty’s Urban Leopards of Sfhalana unveils the overlooked world of India’s urban leopards. It provides a mix of extensive research, vivid photography, and adventurous personal encounters while highlighting the need for conservation and coexistence. Excerpts:

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Budding friendships

I was perhaps one of the first photographers to explore Jhalana, which is why I have been able to document some of the most well-known leopards of the region. In 2016, Jhalana was all about Flora, the erstwhile queen, before her daughter, Juliet, stole the limelight in 2018, carrying her mother’s legacy forward. Juliet was possibly the most daring female I had ever seen in Jhalana. She had one sister, Cleopatra, who was quite timid in her approach, and not as tourist-friendly as her sister. When I was doing my research work in Jhalana in 2018 and closely observing Juliet, I was baffled by her boldness. Practically every time I entered the park premise, I was greeted by her. It almost felt as if she was getting used to me. When Juliet was in the tourism zone, she would never let any other female leopard settle down in her area, except for her mother and sister. Although I am aware that it takes years to understand the ecology of big cats, after having followed Juliet for a substantial amount of time, I can say that I was able to grasp her movement patterns to some extent. Leopards are inscrutable big cats, much shyer than tigers and lions, but if you can manage to win their trust and they sense that you are not a threat, the leopard will most likely connect with you.

I am privileged to have experienced this connection with Juliet. An incident that highlighted this bond occurred in July 2018, when I was on an evening drive. The atmosphere was placid, the muddy track fenced on both sides with scrubby vegetation. I encountered Flora at around 5 pm. She was trying to cross the road.