A Reflective journey, to The Leopard Lair Bera

When my friend Bob from England mentioned he wanted to visit The Leopard Lair in early December with his friend Trevor, I couldn’t resist suggesting a little barter. “How about a bottle of good old Scotch instead of your room tariff?” I asked. Bob, always one to watch his budget, seemed hesitant, but the idea lingered. A litre of Scotch in exchange for a night or two at the Lair—who could resist such a tempting offer?

Bob, Trevor, my cousin Terrance from Panchkula, and I were all scheduled to arrive at the Lair on the 2nd of December, and I was eager to join them. We arrived around lunchtime on the 3rd, where Mr. Devi Singh, an old friend and gracious host, welcomed us. He led us to the dining room where Bob and Trevor, to our surprise, had already introduced us to their partners. It was a pleasant start to what we hoped would be an adventurous stay.

The evening safari, however, did not go as planned. Despite the Lair’s excellent track record—with a over 90% chance of sightings this season—we saw neither hide nor hair of the elusive leopards. My cousin Terrance experienced disappointment, a common feeling among guests when they fail to glimpse the animals they hoped to see. Yet, I reassured him, reminding him of the Lair’s impressive 95% success rate for those staying two days.

As the sun set, we settled in for the evening with the Scotch that our British mates had brought, paired with a delicious BBQ prepared by Kunoo (Mr. Singh). The camaraderie, laughter, and shared stories more than made up for the earlier disappointment on the safari.

But enough of my musings—look at some photographs we captured during our stay at The Leopard Lair. They tell the story better than I ever could.