The Week India – July 14, 2019

JULY 14, 2019 • THE WEEK 55

usually seen near the Kali temple in
the forest, mostly making her appear-
ance as soon as the evening prayers
in the temple begin.
The biggest leopard in the sanctu-
ary is Rambo, says ranger Janeshwar
Chaudhary. The ranger has the rep-
utation of nabbing several poachers
in his career. He spends most of his
time monitoring the park through
the new e-surveillance system. Apart
from leopards, the forest is also home
to other felines like the jungle cat,
desert cat and the rusty-spotted cat.
There are also hyenas, foxes and
porcupines.
Besides monitoring and protecting
the inhabitants, the forest officials
also ensure continuous water supply
to the water holes and fodder for the
herbivores, specially during the dry

months. The biggest challenge for the

team was to construct a 30km wall

around the sanctuary to stop

trespassing by humans and domestic

animals.

On completing the census, each

team submitted their findings to the

forest authorities. The teams that

spotted pug marks made moulds of

the same as keepsakes. The depart-

ment will soon compile the figures for

the entire state and release the total

leopard count.

There are plans to connect Jhala-

na sanctuary to the wildlife region

around Galtaji, across the Jaipur-Agra

highway, through an underground

corridor. Sharma hopes that the forest

ridges of the nearby Nahargarh hills,

too, will be connected in the future, so

that the leopards’ range increases.

FELINE GRACE

(Top) Mrs Khaan in

the moonlight; (left) a

volunteer on a machan;

(below) Flora feasting

on a peafowl