Most Popular Leopard Safari Places in India
Safaris are indeed adrenaline-pumping activities, especially for adventure and wildlife lovers. Spotting wild animals, especially lions, tigers or leopards adds to the thrill of the forest safari. Talking about leopards, these spotted big cats are solitary, yet spectacular, cunning and opportunistic hunters. Due to their light weight and smaller size as compared to tigers, they can be often seen sitting on the branches of trees. Their stealthy behaviour makes them a deadly hunter.
While tiger safaris are quite popular in the national parks in India, leopard safaris are no short of thrill. Leopards can adapt themselves to most environments as they can very easily climb trees or mountains and can even easily survive in dry or hot regions. Therefore leopards can be found in both Himalayan regions as well as in Rajasthan. Apart from these regions, leopards take refuge in many other national parks and forests.
Where to do a thrilling leopard safari?1. Jawai Bandh Leopard Conservation Reserve, Rajasthan- Jawai Bandh is a small region in the district of Pali in Rajasthan. This is a unique habitat for leopards as the local tribals and leopards are said to have co-existed peacefully for years. The leopards of Jawai do not cause any harm to the tribals and during a safari, they can be very frequently spotted. They can be frequently spotted sitting on granite rocks and soaking in the sun. Another unique feature of Jawai is there is no forest cover in the area and the leopards dwell in caves, unlike other national parks. While visiting Jawai National Park for a leopard safari, there are other attractions in Jawai such as the Jawai Dam and a few temples.
2. Bandipur National Park, Karnataka- Once a hunting ground for the Maharajas, Bandipur National Park provides shelter to multiple endangered species at present. A part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Bandipur shares its borders with Mudumalai National Park, Nagarhole National Park and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The vast forest land of Bandipur is an abode to the Indian Leopards. Tourists do take Jeep safaris in Bandipur to spot the majestic wild cats like tigers, leopards and other wild animals.
3. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan- Kumbhalgarh in itself is one of the star attractions in Rajasthan. The Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary becomes a part of the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests eco-region and Aravalli Range as well, it spans an area of 610.528 sq. km. Kumbhalgarh Fort is the most iconic landmark of the sanctuary and is located inside the jungle which gives a breathtaking view of the entire forest. When it comes to wildlife, you get to see sloth bear, chausingha, sambar, Golden jackal, striped hyena, chinkara, Indian hare, and jungle cat, along with the apex predator which is the leopard.
4. Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh- Located in the Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh, Satpura National Park is primarily a conservation area reserved for safeguarding the population of the endangered tiger population of India. The national park has derived its name from the Satpura Hill range and and provides ample scope of leopard spotting apart from tigers and other species of fauna like Indian giant squirrel, blackbuck, sambar, fox, flying squirrel, wild boar, etc. The capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal is located just 102 km from Satpura National Park which is another major factor behind tourists swarming to the national park during the peak seasons.