Mount Abu The Abode: #leopard man

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Bera the Leopards Abode re-visited A flash trip (11 Feb 2016.) From Mount Abu

Bera the Leopards Abode re-visited

To visit Bera in such a short interval of time was for me an absorbing and delightful break from my monotonous life of sitting in my garden reading and photographing the occasional birds that pop up in this outlying area of the Abode of the Gods. My grandson’s keen desire to see the leopards in the wild was all that I needed to visit the Leopard Man of India.

I immediately planned a flash trip to Bera, as Keith had to report to the Boarding on The 14th Feb 2016. I recall visiting Bera on Valentine's Day in the year 2012. Here I had the good fortune to click Zara, the mother of Zia, whose photographs I posted below. My 2012 Trip http://footloosenfancyfree.blogspot.in/2012/02/incredible-bera.html

Haunt of the leopard Zia and cubs Bera

Zia on the Lookout

Restless

The leopardess call to her cubs

Watching

The leopardess on the move

Click to view this feline beauty

24/7 on the lookout for the safety of her cubs

On the move

Stretching

Watching the photographers down below

Patiently waiting for her cubs

On the move

Moving with caution

Cub

If keen to see the leopards before their disappearance get in touch

Leopards lair Bera Resort

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.