Abu's Monarch of the Jungle on the PROWL.

“The Night Stalker": A Majestic Encounter in Abu Jungle

The leopard returns to his winter haunts in Abu

Leopard on the prowl

There's a rumble in the jungle,

The Night Stalker is on the prowl,

The Langurs are on the lookout,

The alpha male makes a ruckus,

Warning the others of the tribe,

Here comes the Monarch of the Jungle.

A primal presence stirs in the heart of Abu’s wilds, casting a shadow over the land, and filling the air with a palpable tension. With the return of the Night Stalker, the monarch of these forests, the jungle’s inhabitants are on edge. With their cries of warning, the Langurs, guardians of the treetops, respond to the alpha male barking orders to his troop. The predator has come.

On a fateful evening, around 9 p.m., the Langur’s alarm shattered the stillness of the night. Their sharp cries echoed through the thick forest, alerting everyone to the stealthy approach of the elusive leopard. My daughter and I rushed outside, flashlights in hand, our hearts pounding in sync with the jungle’s rhythm. The air was thick with anticipation. We stood, waiting, until the glowing eyes of the Night Stalker pierced the darkness.

 And there it was—the ruler of the forest, cloaked in rosettes, moving with grace and power. Excitement mingled with fear as we beheld this raw beauty from a safe distance. The leopard moved through the underbrush, its body a sleek shadow blending with the night. Each motion was poetry, smooth and deliberate. Watching the ace tree climber in its element, we couldn’t help but feel both mesmerized and humbled by nature’s grand design.

I shared the news of the leopard’s return with the locals the next day. As always, they took precautions, locking up their goats and dogs, a nightly ritual in this part of the world. The leopard may be magnificent, but it is still a predator, and those living on the edge of the jungle know the stakes all too well.

Three nights later, the Night Stalker returned. This time, hunger drove it closer to the village, testing the boundaries of coexistence. A mason’s dog became the target of the leopard’s hunger, and chaos erupted. With quick reactions, the dog’s owner managed to scare off the predator, but the jungle’s monarch had grown bolder, leaving behind an unsettling reminder.

Grief manifested itself the next night. The Night Stalker struck once more, taking the lives of my neighbour’s two puppies that were kept in a crudely constructed cage. The reality of living near such a powerful predator is both bitter and sweet. We lament the losses the leopard leaves behind while appreciating its untamed beauty. The villagers remain on guard, aware that the leopard is now circling their perimeter and keeping a lookout for easy food.

The Night Stalker’s return is a sign of a deeper crisis—a struggle for survival that forces it to the very fringes of human habitation. Prey is scarce, and habitat loss has driven it to adapt. Once content with wild pigs, rabbits, and the occasional Langur, the leopard now hunts street dogs, and sometimes, even eyes goats and young cattle. Each encounter drives the villagers to guard their homes and animals more fiercely than ever.

Yet, despite the mounting tension, one fact brings a measure of comfort: the leopard, for all its strength and cunning, has never attacked a human in these parts. Its solitary nature and preference for the shadows seem to keep it from crossing that line. It’s a delicate balance, one of respect and restraint, between the predator and the people of Abu.

As the villagers learn more about their elusive neighbour, they marvel at the leopard’s unique abilities. Its agility, unmatched in the animal kingdom, allows it to scale trees and store its prey high above the ground, far from scavengers. Its rosette-covered coat, each marking as individual as a fingerprint, speaks to a lineage that commands awe and respect. Solitary and secretive, the leopard embodies both grace and danger.

“Wagera” is the name given to the leopard in Rajasthan, and it holds a special place in the local lore. Revered for its power and beauty, the Night Stalker continues to inspire a blend of fear and admiration among the people of Mount Abu. Even as they take steps to protect their homes and livestock, they cannot help but feel a sense of awe for this majestic creature. The Monarch of the Jungle remains a symbol of the untamed wild—a reminder that, in the dance between man and nature, it is the leopard that leads.

The pugmarks on our Boundary wall Photograph per kind favour my neighbour Govind.

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THE LEOPARDS OF BERA.