That morning, Pushpendra Singh Ranawat, a keen conservationist with a wealth of on-the-ground knowledge, steered me into the inner recesses of this “Leopard Country” 

Click here to read this story featured on BBC.

How often does one pull out the acts of betrayal for fulfilling their desires? How often does the other person suffer before they finally give up? During a game of boxing, you can tap out. Do you have that chance in real life?

(You might want to know the beginning of her story? Read Nagini: The Survivor!)

The case could’ve been anything. It could’ve been because Nagini’s motherly instincts that suddenly pushed their way back to the emotional track or she might not have wanted to establish such relations of enmity with anybody. At the end of the day, Baghee started living across the cave that Nagini lived with her cubs. Now, if you’ve read our previous blogs, you’ll know that a leopard-mother has a secret cave for her cubs when she is not around: which in this case was below the one that they already lived in. A male from an area named Bisalpur nearby visited Nagini’s cave.  

All of us, including me, who were constantly keeping track of the activities going around, were frightened: frightened for the cubs. Nagini had left that evening, maybe for food, maybe for something else. The male from Bisalpur was a conqueror. As conqueror; the only thing that he would have ever been worried about was killing the cubs & mating with Nagini, all leading to acquiring the territory. With him approaching the territory and the locals terrified, the only thing that was expected out of thin air was a miracle. Yes, he wouldn’t care for anybody. As I have mentioned before, nothing matters between these species after a certain point of time.  

As soon the cubs came out of the cave, the conqueror male seemed to attack, Baghee took a huge leap on him with Nagini approaching the spot of incident. Basically, the mother-son duo (Nagini & Baghee) fought against the conqueror. The fought so fiercely that he had to run for his life. A few weeks after the fight, Baghee had left the group along with the cubs.  

Nagini, on the other hand, came in the heat of mating and searched for a mating partner. She was spotted mating with Nagwasi, on the rock of the Devgiri Temple. Even at present, Nagini lives there.  

Now we knew that Nagini has conceived her 3^rd litter. Every single person in Jawai, who were keeping a track of her activities seemed to eagerly wait for the 3^rd litter. However, everyone was taken aback with an incident that took place in late December of 2018. Nagwasi is not a male committed to a single area. He had territories everywhere. Around those days, Nagwasi was also mating with a leopardess from Bisalpur. He had called her to the territory where Nagini lived. The reason behind that was only one: Nagwasi wanted to conquer Nagini’s territory. Why? 

Because that was an ideal place to live. The dam was nearby, the prey could be found easily & nobody threatened them. Conceiving the cubs made Nagini weak. She was on the verge of delivering when this fight came upon her. On January 1^st, 2019, the 3^rd litter of Nagini was spotted. She was also spotted hunting a porcupine which unfortunately resulted in her face injury. However, the Bisalpur female hadn’t left yet. She would definitely take whatever she wanted.  

She attacked Nagini in Nagwasi’s absence. With Nagini already weak from the delivery, she couldn’t fight much. However, she gave her best. She fought with all the courage that she could sustain and bring out of herself. She fought bravely. Unfortunately, she fell on a vast rock and broke her ribs. We got to know about it when the forest department gave us the permission to check up on her. I, personally went inside the cave. On 10^th January, 2019, Nagini was declared dead. She might’ve suffered from pain. We don’t know how long she suffered before she finally gave up. 

Her 3^rd litter of 3 cubs(2 males & 1 female) were found shedding tears and are put taken care of by the forest department. Also, the area was later conquered by the Leopardess Lakshmi.  

One can only imagine but not feel other’s suffering. It’s a gift that every human being has received & also a superpower one desires. Rivalries between animals and humans are alike. Everyone follows acts of betrayal. The only quality that differentiates between the two is ability to forgive! 

~~NOTE: The story has been written from Mr. Pushpendra’s (Owner’s) point of view. All the experiences described in the story are his personal experiences and has nothing to do with the writer~~ 

Did you know that inheritance and legacy are two different concepts? Well, inheritance is a concept that refers to two generations, something a son gets from his father. Legacy is a deeper concept; however, it relates to inheritance. It refers to monetary possessions that are passed onto 3-4 generations or more. Inheritance are qualities that a baby derives from their parents; something that can be termed as ‘genetic possessions!’ 

It was my family’s legacy to hunt leopards. Apparently, that is what royal families in India are particularly known for. However, I have inherited the act of saving these big cats from my father, of kindness (pun intended). Plus, nobody in the entire world can escape the hypnotic effect these creatures have on them. I’d always been confused with the concepts of inheritance and legacy until I’d met this gorgeous beauty; the female leopardess, Nagini. 

Unlike humans, the expressions of leopards are not confusing if you know them enough. Unlike humans, the leopards don’t give up on their ability to live. They survive, no matter what.  

Evening of 17^th March, 2016 was a surprising one for me. While I was on my way back to the camp, I got a call from a tracker telling me that a couple has been spotted mating. Such moments in life are priceless. In these times, don’t question. Just follow your intuitions and look forward. I turned my gypsy around and drove to the spot. She was there, with Nagwasi. Each time I spot a different leopard, my curiosity overwhelms me. It makes me feel as if a new baby is born. My senses tell me that no matter what happens, but I need to protect it. I did what I had to do: Dig the history, ask people around, find out who she exactly is.  

From my sources (even though I had a few then), I found out that she was the daughter of Naina, the female leopardess who lived in the ‘Nagwabji-the snake-God temple’ at the top of a hill. We don’t exactly know which litter was Nagini exactly a part of, but we got to know that she was born from Naina. It was when Nagini & her brother were 6 months old & on their visual training of hunting when Naina died. She tried to catch a peacock on a tree but accidently landed on a transformer and died of an electric shock, leaving the cubs untrained & alone. Somehow, the male cub was never found later and is still a mystery. On the other hand, the female cub—Nagini, survived. 

You know why did I name her Nagini? After Naina’s death, she somehow survived. She must’ve learned to hunt, found some sort of will to live. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that the Snake-God saved her, protected her; hence the name! Yes, like every other leopard, she was different too. She used to wander around while scanning the area around her with those glistening eyes, always on alert. After my first encounter with her on 17^th March, I was expecting cubs. That is a process. The mating, followed by the female’s disappearance, and then the cubs after few months. During September 2016, I spotted Nagini with her 1^st litter of 2 cubs—a male & a female. I named them Baghi & Lakshmi, respectively.   

Nagini left her cubs to be on their own sooner than I’d expected. They were only 10 months old when she left them in the Sena Village. I suspected the reason but only came to a conclusion that she must’ve in the heat of mating with a partner. Well, I was right. I spotted her mating with Nagwasi for a whole week. That’s the usual mating period. The surprising event was when she joined her cubs in Sena Village right after that. I’d never never seen that. However, she didn’t stay there for long. She threw her cubs out of her territory; could be because she was pregnant with her 2^nd litter.  

Baghi and lakshmi found a home in the hills of Jeevda Village. They seemed happy & regular to me. On the other hand, Nagini might’ve given birth to her 2^nd litter. On 24^th October 2017, with a group of guests I spotted Nagini with 2 male cubs & 1 female cub. For the next few months, the spotting was great. We had a huge number of guests who were interested in seeing the mother with the cubs. However, on 17^th January 2018, she nervously ran with her cubs into a secret cave where she had been recently living, Hingalaj Mata Temple. I was on safari with a few guests & for safe purposes was advised to go back to the camp. The tracker suspected the arrival of a male. We left! 

The trackers usually stay even after we’ve left & observe the activities of the leopards closely. According to him, Baghi had come. He must’ve either come there to mate with Nagini & kill the cubs. Considering that the relations between leopards end after a certain point of time, the suspicion made sense. A fight between Nagini & Baghi took place where the male gave up. Nagini did not kill Baghi. It must’ve been her kindness, or her motherly nature that somehow stopped her. Baghi made a gesture. He had been living in the same village on another hill. From their gestures which were explained by the tracker, we assumed that he only wanted to live there peacefully without demanding anything else. 

Do you really think the only reason Baghi was there, was to just live there without creating any sort of chaos? 

Will Nagini allow Baghi, a well-grown male leopard who is capable of building his own territory, live there? 

Are Nagini’s cubs safe with Baghi living in the same territory?  

For more, you gotta wait! The second part of the story will be updated day after tomorrow. Let us know what you think of it in the comments! 

~~NOTE: The story has been written from Mr. Pushpendra’s (Owner’s) point of view. All the experiences described in the story are his personal experiences and has nothing to do with the writer~~ 

What is Power?  

Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian poet once said, “Power is domination, control, and therefore a very selective form of truth which is a lie.” The leopards are known to be solitary species, and seem to be desperate for claiming power over each other’s territories. It wouldn’t be surprising if they cannot be observed displaying any other feelings, such as love. I wouldn’t claim that leopards are not capable of love. They certainly are, as evident from their possessiveness for their children or constant mating partners. Although, the whole act can also be confused with their need for an extended bloodline. The hunger for a huge territory or numerous territories never dies. 

In the year 2013, I was on an expedition with a guest who was extremely fascinated by the way of naming leopards. While we were patrolling around the village looking for leopard sightings, we came across this dominative beast. Her first look was more than enough to reflect her characteristics. She had the look of a fighter: one that would do anything to keep her loved ones safe. Ziya had a few places where she was usually spotted. For a period of approximately 2 years, she gave us really good spotting. At times, she was spotted mating with a male Leopard, Cuteyar. He was Ziya’s constant mating partner. 

(If you’re familiar with our leopard-tales, you’ll know about Cuteyar. If not, please refer to ‘The Ferocious Neelam’ & ‘Why did Marshal kill his own cub?’) 

By being familiar with their mating cycles, I knew that she would soon give birth to a few cubs. I wasn’t patient exactly, though I held my emotions back while patrolling every day. On the beautiful morning of 8^th December, 2015, I woke up early as usual and went for patrolling on my bike. All the patience that I’d pretended to have, came to an end when I caught a glimpse of Ziya with two cubs: a male & a female. I named them Shedwood & Naina, respectively. The female cub had beautiful eyes. That was her first litter ever! 

The cycle of constant hunting & hiding continued. It was only a year or so later, that her first litter separated from her. Ziya seemed to be in the heat of another mating-cycle with Cuteyar, which further led to the birth of their 2^nd litter of 2 cubs. On a cold February evening in 2017, I spotted the cubs. They must’ve been a month old then. The sight was beautiful. If you see a leopardess with her cubs for the first time, a different sense of behavior can be observed. Even though these species tend to fight for territories irrespective of their relationships, they can be seen sharing a feeling of love too.  

During April 2017, there was an incident that left everyone in the village surprised. A male leopard had come to visit Ziya’s territory. Apparently, it wasn’t a visit. It was more of a murderous intention. He attacked Ziya’s cubs. Reciprocating to the attack, Ziya fought back. The whole fight was caught on camera. It took place on a tree where the male was trying to throw the cub from the tree. When Ziya jumped in, she gave the male a tough competition. Not being able to beat Ziya, the male ran away. The next day, the male leopard was seen with scars all over. However, Ziya was perfectly fine. She came out strong & powerful. She saved her cubs then! 

  Just the way human beings tend to carry their characteristics from their ancestors, the leopards tend to do it the same way as well. The story of such a brave leopardess, Ziya, would be incomplete without the mention of her ancestors. It was in the year 1997, when the safari ventures had started setting up their business in Jawai. The same year, our family got into it as well. The female with which the safari was first inaugurated was Ziya’s grandmother named Mangoli. It was only after my first encounter with Ziya had I discovered Ziya was born shortly after Mangoli got separated from her second litter. Ziya inherits her dominative characteristic from her grandmother. Mangoli was the queen of her times. 

On 23^rd May, 2018, I was on another expedition with a group of guests as usual. I was flabbergasted to spot Ziya with her 3^rd litter of 2 cubs. They seemed 1-2-month-old. However, those cubs were killed by male leopards later on. The whole story of Ziya had been different from any other female. Her cubs were constantly killed which unfortunately stole her aura. She was no longer seen for a whole year until June 2019, when she was spotted nearby her territory, with another male cub. That must’ve been her 4^th litter. Her boldness had disappeared. She no longer had the look of a fighter. She looked fearful & quiet. She wasn’t the queen of her territory anymore! 

Ziya presently lives in Kothar Village on Dinhora hill, which is the biggest hill in the area. Her grandmother usually gave birth in a cave on the hilltop of a hill with a Mahadevi Mandir. Ziya continues the legacy of the grandmother and still gave birth there. We knew this because she was constantly seen with them around the cave. Ziya’s territory is huge, with 3 hills combined. Bhadarla hill & Pola hill came under her territory too. There are railway tracks built around the area. However, the leopards don’t give an impression of disturbance at all. They seem to have gotten used to the noise supposedly. 

Recently I.e., on 9^th February, 2020, Neel (from 2^nd litter of Neelam) was observed approaching Ziya’s territory of Lilora caves and happened to attack the cub. However, the cub is safe and did not have any serious injuries. Ziya seemed to have lost the will to fight. She is possessive about her children; however, she looks depressed and is always afraid of something. She has turned into a fragile leopardess. The loss of children is not easy to cope up with. You think you can fascinate a visit? you never know if any visitors might make her feel better!

~~NOTE: The story has been written from Mr. Pushpendra’s (Owner’s) point of view. All the experiences described in the story are his personal experiences and has nothing to do with the writer~~ 

And where is Neelam? Where did she flee with her cubs? 

For those of you who have read the story about Neelam, you know what I’m talking about. For those who didn’t, you might want to enlighten yourself by knowing who Neelam is. Read: THE FEROCIOUS NEELAM 

The story must’ve left you hanging about what happened to Neelam & the cubs? Why did Marshal kill his own cub? 

“Deceit is the false road to happiness; and all the joys we travel through to vice, like fairy banquets, vanish when we touch them”, said Aaron Hill. Nobody likes being deceived. As humans, we deceive ourselves when we continue to do something even though it’s wrong. It is the outcome of our desires, our needs, and the proves the ability of our minds being able to think carefree.  

A leopard kills his cub only if the cub is trying to take over his territory. According to the behavior of leopards observed throughout the years, it has also been concluded that a leopard might also kill a cub if he finds out that the cub is not his own. The other reasons such as a fight for food, or to mate with the female might have been considerate if the cubs were a little older in this case. For 3 consecutive months, I searched for Neelam throughout the Jawai. There were times when I moved back and forth between Marshal’s spot and Neelam’s old spots.  

However, I had not turned down any single possibility. The reason could have been anything. In those moments, Neelam was the topmost priority. I was extremely frightened each time I had a thought about her. I was worried if something might’ve happened to her or the cubs. After a few days, there was a news about a bull that got killed by a group of 4 leopards, which put the whole village on guard. Not being a sadist here, but I honestly prayed that one of these leopards was Neelam. When I reached the spot of Rautela Dam, my eyes witnessed a sight so rare, so unbelievable and something that was never seen in Jawai before! 

~Neelam, along with her two cubs, was sitting with another male leopard, Cuteyar. A sight involving a group of 4 leopards seen together was beyond understanding. But this whole sight led to a single conclusion~ Cuteyar was the father of Neelam’s 2^nd litter of 3 cubs, which could solely be the reason for Marshal killing the cub! These answer to all my questions, to months of metaphorically banging my head against the possibilities of Marshal’s unethical killing was right in front of my eyes.   

Cuteyar was Ziya’s mating partner ~ another female leopardess. He is a strong, and an old male. Both of them were spotted mating numerous times. The Rautela Dam spot lies right in the middle of Neelam’s & Ziya’s territory. After Marshal killed Neelam’s cub, she moved to Cuteyar’s place. Although Marshal, being an egoistic leopard full of vengeance, came back to Rautela Dam to fight Cuteyar and kill the remaining cubs. However, Cuteyar defeated him. And Marshal ran away. He was never seen again in that territory. The cubs, along with their mother seemed to continue living there until the cubs grew old enough to be separated from their mother and go their own ways. Cuteyar had also moved to Ziya’s territory.   

Neelam had always been ferociously smart leopardess. Each time she gives birth to a litter, she tends to leave them in the same territory she raised them and moves forward to search for a mating partner. All in all, she seems to have built a huge territory for herself. Till today, she moves around all the territories fearlessly, as if they belong to her. Also, after a cub is 1-2 years old; they seem to have lost their relations with their fathers and mothers. When they’re old enough to mate, they are merely just two leopards looking for partners to mate (in case of a male & a female), or fight with each other (in case when two males fight over a female). Relationships seem to have lost their meaning.  

Neelam’s 3^rd litter of cubs were born from Heera, the male leopard from her 1^st litter. This was when she moved to Raghunathpura Village, nearby Varawal. Her 3^rd litter of 2 cubs, have also grown and been separated from Neelam. The cycle of constant mating, reproducing litters of cubs, and separation, has been observed multiple times throughout the years. For as long as a leopard is alive, it is known to broaden its territory. They’re ghostly animals, who tend to live in tranquility and solidarity for as long as their life permits. Neelam, for example, was spotted mating with Heera again and we have been waiting for a 4^th litter now. Hence, the cycle never stops. A female like her, so smart & clever could be delivering her 4^th litter of cubs anytime now.   

Comment below if you’re eager to see another picture of Neelam’s 4^th litter! 

~~NOTE: The story has been written from Mr. Pushpendra’s (Owner’s) point of view. All the experiences described in the story are his personal experiences and has nothing to do with the writer~~ 

~A story of a magnificent female leopard of Jawai

Growth; What do you understand by it?   

Growth is an inevitable truth of life that one has to always come across, no matter what. A truth that no living species on earth can avoid; an evidence of evolution; the mere existence of the process of reproduction. Personal growth is known to transform a living being into a stronger version, that overcomes all sorts of problems and protects what it owns.   

The month of July, 2013 is accurately engraved in my memory. It was the scorching July sun and I was on an expedition with a group of Spanish Guests, who were extremely exhausted with the heat, aggravated with disappointment. We wandered for three hours and hadn’t spotted a single leopard in the area. On our way back to the camp, I stopped the gypsy at the only place that relieved me, the tea stall outside Varawal. While sipping my chai from kulhad with deep disappointment and enervation, I got a phone call from one of my trackers. He informed me that a leopard & hyena had been found fighting at a spot that was near to the tea stall. Without any second thoughts and further discussion, I took my guests to the spot.   

We reached the place and spotted the hyena trying to scare a leopard off who was on the rock in the headlight of our gypsy. There she was~ the ferocious one. The aura in her eyes reflected her newness to the situation of the fight and the world of cruelty. From the first look, I suspected that she might’ve just been separated from her mother. At that moment, I didn’t understand the reason behind their fight. With a thought that its unethical to disturb the activities of wildlife, I took my happy-with-spotting guests back to the camp. With the hope of finding her again, I gave her a name~ Neelam.   

New leopards separate from their mothers at the age of 12-14 months to find a territory of their own, along with mating partners. She made a magnificent appearance which made me curious as to what might’ve invoked the fight between a new leopard & a hyena. With a determination of unraveling the mystery, I went to the same spot the next day. I was surprised when I found a dead goat on that spot. Realizing that the reason behind their fight was food, I started looking for her. I found myself lucky when I spotted her on a hill. She gave enough spotting to be seen for existence from a crack, only to disappear again after a few months.  

It is believed that a destination becomes more special if the journey is spectacular and indulging. It took me two months to locate her again on a different hill. Every day, I wandered on my patrolling bike in search of her. I was taken by surprise in the month of April, 2015 when I saw her with her first litter of 2 cubs, a male & a female who I’d named (later,) Heera & Panna respectively. Mother-leopards tend to hide to protect their cubs & bring them in the presence of humans only after 2 months. They might be called “Ghost of the forest”, but they know if you’re watching them. At least in Jawai, they do. Due to a lack of equipment, I couldn’t capture her shot then. However, in the month of July, 2015 on an expedition with a group of traveler photographers from ‘Mumbai Travelers’, we managed to get a shot of Neelam & her cubs. For a series of months, it was her routine to sit outside her cave along with her cubs & we had great spotting!   

The first territory of a female where she lives with her cubs is always owned by the male she mates with and the father of the cubs. However, it is the sole responsibility of the female to take care of her cubs. Her cubs made me curious about her mating partner. On a particular morning, I spotted Neelam with her cubs going inside the cave. She looked alert then. In the evening, I was on a safari with a group of guests and we saw her running with Heera (male cub). Panna (female cub) was alert. A sight of another male leopard, Marshal, in Neelam’s territory was seen just later.   

Male leopards tend to kill other males to mate with a female. Marshal could’ve come to the hill for only two reasons: One, to kill Heera so that he could mate with Neelam & claim the territory or two, this was his territory! Marshal, walked around marking of the cave, sprayed (I.e., urinated) and then left. Another day, the daily routine of Neelam with her cubs sitting outside the cave on her signature spot: The Tea Rock ~ Left Cave, was followed with a sight of Marshal, who happened to exchange looks and then he walked away. This particular sight wasn’t usual. This could only mean one thing: Marshal was Neelam’s first mating partner!   

A leopard raises her cubs, teaches them hunting, for a period of 7-8 months after which, she leaves them to be on their own. Neelam raised her cubs in the territory of Marshal. She left them to be on their own after 10 months from their birth. Meanwhile, a leopard searches for a mating partner. It hunts, it lives its own life and continues to find a mating partner. I was wondering as to who would be her next mating partner when I spotted her mating with Marshal on a rock. I wasn’t surprised. Nevertheless, I was waiting to spot her 2nd litter!   

After a few months, in the first week of December, 2016, I spotted her in one of Marshal’s territory with her 2nd litter of 3 cubs~ all males. She was the first-ever leopard in Jawai to be seen with 3 MALE CUBS! This made her even more special in the area. Guests demanded to see such sights. The cubs were a month old when they were first spotted. On fine evening of 18th January, 2017, I took a group of traveler guests from ‘Foliage Outdoor’ to spot Neelam. Near sundown, we saw Marshal marching towards Neelam from a crack & attacking her. The whole situation confused me. We couldn’t stay more because of the sundown.   

After an extreme period of inquisition with my mind, I went to the same spot the next day. I was shocked to find Marshal wandering around his whole territory like a king, who claims a kingdom after a fight. Marshal looked angry. I looked around in search of Neelam and didn’t find her. With a sense of disappointment, I wondered if she’d gone. However, a week later she was seen in some other territory with all 3 cubs.  

On the morning of 31st January, 2016, one of Neelam’s cubs from the 2nd litter, was found dead on a rock!

This was a dreadful sight to look. The cub was bleeding and there were pug marks of leopards from a fight. Due to the series of events, I’d suspected Marshal had killed the cub. The fact was disturbing. Leopards often fight when they’re claiming a territory or want to mate with the same female. However, the cub was only 4-5 months old, and was not fit for any activity above. Also, it was Marshal’s cub! Neelam disappeared with the remaining 2 cubs and wasn’t spotted for weeks. Where did she go?? There was another question that left all of us bugging: Why did Marshal kill his own cub?    

Comment below if you suspect something. An answer? Or you might’ve to wait for another week for the right one!    

~~NOTE: The story has been written from Mr. Pushpendra’s (Owner’s) point of view. All the experiences described in the story are his personal experiences and has nothing to do with the writer~~  

~~Special thanks to Mr. Jogi Prajapati, tour leader & co-founder of Mumbai Travelers from Mumbai, Maharashtra & Mr. Rahul Rao, tour leader at ‘Foliage Outdoor’ group from Pune, Maharashtra~~