Bahadur, the 13-year-old leopard, is reclaiming his territory in Jaipur’s Jhalana forest reserve. ACF Shekhawat said, "Iske attitude ki vajah se hi iska naam Bahadur pada." As his rival Rana has not been spotted for a month, the ageing big cat now uses an abandoned watchtower to survey his kingdom.
At 13, the leopard has earned a reputation as the King of Jhalana, the forest reserve in Jaipur, Rajasthan, that he calls home. His scarred face bears the marks of battles fought to hold on to his territory, but the ageing big cat appears to be reclaiming his lost ground.
"Ye first time jab dikha tha toh ek dusra leopard ek aur tha, woh dubak gaya tha usko dekh ke. Isliye phir Bahadur naam diya tha isko (When he was seen for the first time, there was another leopard there. That one cowered away after seeing him. That's why he was christened Bahadur)," ACF Shekhawat revealed. "Iske attitude ki vajah se hi iska naam Bahadur pada," he added.
ACF Shekhawat told me that Rana has not been spotted for about a month, allowing Bahadur to regain lost ground. "Since Rana is not being seen these days, Bahadur has expanded his territory," he revealed.
For Walia, the sight of the leopard surveying his territory from the abandoned structure was as striking for its symbolism as for its visual impact. "It was actually quite paradoxical that a watch tower that was once used by humans to look for forest fires, poachers and Leopard sightings is now a throne to these felines for the same purpose of vigilance and protection of their territory!" Walia said.