Jhalana : Leopard Sanctuary Inside Jaipur

If there’s one place where you are most likely to spot a leopard, it’s Jhalana Leopard Sanctuary. And it’s right inside the City of Jaipur.

Jaipur is a beautiful city to travel to in its own right. With fabulous havelis, palaces, shopping opportunities, food, culture and plenty of heritage. In the middle of all of this is a 24 square kilometer area reserved as part of Project Leopard. This area, a beautiful forested hill of Aravalli, is situated right inside the city, has its own safari and you are almost guaranteed to spot a leopard here. Or two.

Jhalana Leopard Reserve was created to offer these beautiful animals some breathing space and respite from an ever encroaching human footprint. The landscape is a gorgeous dry deciduous cover on the slopes of the Aravallis, filled with many a dhonk tree.

The safari was very convenient and we took one in the afternoon. We were whisked away in a Gypsy and the moment we entered we saw plenty of India Grey Langurs and Nilgai. A little ahead we caught a glimpse of a Lepoard who promptly shied away into the curves of the Aravallis. With the alarm calls of the Nilgais we waited for a bit but the Leopard didn’t show himself. So we took a mutual decision to explore the rest of the forest and not keep waiting.

The forest itself is very beautiful for exploring. One part is a fairly high hill and while climbing I had new found respect for the Gypsy as a worthy 4X4 vehicle as well as the driver. Safaris for us are not for the big cats alone but also the explore and see the forests, hear its sounds, smell its fragrances… note: one is not allowed to get down from the safari vehicle once inside the park.

Jhalana has a lot to offer. As of now it’s still not too crowded. We would definitely want to go again…

Jhalana Leopard Reserve
The forest in the Jhalana Leopard Reserve is a beautiful one…
Jhalana Leopard Reserve
A Rufous Treepie in a man-made watering hole inside the Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Beautifully interwined wild branches…
Leopard
Did you spot the Leopard in this photo?
Nilgai in Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Nilgais nervously look at the direction of the Leopard at the Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Jhalana Leopard Reserve
The beautiful rich forests of Jhalana
Wild Grass in Jhalana
Wild Grasses bloom in Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Jhalana Leopard Reserve
There! She comes for a visit, very well camouflaged.
Langures
Indian Grey langurs go crazy at sighting the Leopard in Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Forest Owlets
Two forest Owlets beat the day time blues in Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Jhalana Leopard Reserve
The forests of Jhalana are truly gorgeous…
Jhalana Leopard Reserve
There are very well marked out Safari Trails in Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Jhalana Leopard Reserve
There are some very steep ascends and descends in Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Leopard in Jhalana Leopard Reserve
The Leopard sits royally resting in the middle of Jhalana Leopard Reserve
Leopard in dusk
We found this Leopard towards dusk. See how well camouflaged she is.
Peacock in Dusk
On our way out, we spotted Peacocks who climb the trees at night for a safe sleep.
Full Moon
As we leave Jhalana Leopard Reserve, we look back one last time at the bright full moon through the trees and how the Leopard must be shining in the moon’s light…

How to reach Jhalana Leopard Reserve: Being right in the middle of Jaipur City, one can reach by road, train or flight. Jaipur is very well connected to all major train routes and flights.

Booking A Safari: There are many websites that come up when you search for Jhalana Safari Booking. I guess you can look at those or just send us a message via comments and we can connect you to some nice people.

11 thoughts on “Jhalana : Leopard Sanctuary Inside Jaipur”

  1. I know Jaipur is a beautiful city with a lot of ornately-decorated buildings, but I was completely oblivious about the existence of this leopard sanctuary, right in the city no less! It’s amazing how Jaipur takes a different approach in using its land area. As opposed to turning green spaces into commercial centers or residential areas like what most other cities do, a vast plot of land was instead dedicated for a wildlife sanctuary. This is something other cities around the globe can learn to replicate.

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    • You are so right. In fact even Mumbai has the Sanjay Gandhi National Park bang in the middle of the city. The real deal is how we are able to protect these areas and keep that protection for ever…

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    • You are right, the locals of Jaipur come here less, they do not even know. It has not been talked about in any paper or discussion .. I have gone 2 times in it .. It is better to see the wildlife rather than sit in a cafe

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  2. Jaipur is one of the best place to visit as a tourist. Got to know more about the city through your blog. Thanks. By the way all photos are excellent.

    Reply
  3. Such an incredible and instructive post thanks for sharing your perspectives about Jhalana the Leopard Sanctuary inside Jaipur. I visited jaipur once however I didn’t think about this leopard Sanctuary and I think it is smarter to see the untamed life as opposed to sit in a bistro. After read your blog I put Leopard Sanctuary in my basin bucket list and I need to visit this spot at the earliest opportunity with my loved once

    Reply

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