Mount Abu The Abode: April 2013

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

BERA An AMAZING Leopard lair Habitat

Last year I visited Bera on Valentine's Day. The leopard man of Bera, Oops the title should be of India, took us on an amazing leopard safari in which, heck why say anything more follow this link ‘Incredible Bera’.

Walter my brother–in–law, and the night before last decided on the spur of the moment over a few drinks that it was time to pay an old buddy and Gijjery dost, a visit. We phoned Kunoo, (Thakur Devi Singh of Bera) and told him we were two old F__ _ _! Were going to gate crash his domain and accompany him on his daily visit to see his love for the elusive leopards. Kunoo has been photographing and keeping records of leopards in his realm for aeons. The massive collection of videos that he has on these animals could possibly make him a contender for a Guinness world record not only in India but also probably in the world.

“The Leopard Man”

We drove down to Bera after lunch and reached the resort by 4 pm. Kunoo was there to greet us personally and after a hot cuppa, we went along with him to visit his favourite haunts where the leopards roam free.

“Free” my friend is an understatement; the leopards of this area are fit and surviving because of the herculean labour of love of this man. In his endeavours toward saving these animals “The Leopard Man” has compensated villagers personally for the loss of animals to the leopards. The government's apathy towards the rural folks is a well-known fact if it wasn’t for Mr Singh’s intervention in making the village folks understand the importance of the preservation of these animals they would have gone the same way the Tigers of this area. Tigers were hunted for sport by the ruling British and the elite Rajputs of former times. Today the demand for the leopard’s skin and the price it fetches make it an easy target for poachers and traders of illegal animal skins. Previously that leopard which lifted an animal from the poor herders' flock was got rid of by poisoning the carcass that it would return to. The terrain of Bera supports very little wildlife so the leopard in order to survive picks up grazing animals in and around this territory. I’m pasting an extract from WWF-India's Mission. Can anyone estimate the chances of survival of these graceful predators in and around this area?

The total estimated number of Leopards poached and in illegal trade in the decade of 2001-2010 is 2294.54 ± 403.34 standard deviation (95% confidence interval, 1565.86 - 3139.00). This gives an estimate of at least four Leopards poached and in illegal trade, every week for the past 10 years.

To read more on the report click the link WWF-India’s Mission

Another recent threat that can be seen on the horizon is commercializing of this area by businessmen setting up safari-style lodgings. After Kunoo set up his resort many followed in his footstep. Land that had abs no value today has fetched massive amounts because of the leopards living in these areas. The Wild West terrain that harbours the free Leopard does not come under the purview of any national park, protected area or wildlife sanctuary hence it’s a free for all for enterprising future prospectors or rich businessmen to earn a fast buck from tourism at the cost of the future of these animals. Gosh, enough of my ranting it's time I posted some photographs of this remote village.
RIGHT-CLICK ON THE PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE A LARGER INDIVIDUAL ONE.