Return To The Rock Climbers Of Jawai

Jawai, Rajasthan

I just got back from Jawai and as I’d said in “Tara & The Rock Climbers of Jawai”, I wanted to see Tara, the leopardess and my friend, tracker and wheelman there, M.P. Singh found her on my third day there.

The way it went down was that, we ran into this young male and a female who were pretty far away from the closest vantage point we could get to and we couldn’t tell who the female was from that distance. Those shots were never gonna be more than landscapes and MP, knowing this, asked his helper to step down from the driver’s seat as he lit a smoke. He then climbed on and headed straight into the rocky, thorny forest. As we were headed out, I could see the shock and awe on the inhabitants of the other 2 vehicles which were close to us at that time and knowing him, I also knew then that no one else would follow.

We negotiated our way through thorns, branches, bush and mountain that needed 4 x 4 control in the middle of it all to get close to our guys and when we did, we caught the male and man, what amazing stares he gave us and the whole setting.. o ho ho hooo ..(Pics : 1 – 6). He walked around a sloping rock which had a cave up top and trees nearby. We lost him then and headed back for a wider view, to the hill we had come from. I spent the return journey through the bush crouched on the floor of the gypsy as I had on the way in to avoid being scratched up by the branches and thorns pretty unsuccessfully. Needless to say, just that little trip was more adventure and adrenalin than I had had in half a year and it got me super pumped. Something about wild animals, the forest and going up and down 70 degree inclines of slippery granite slopes all together I guess. I had a t shirt with a ripped back to show for it and MP’s vehicle’s suspension was already creaking on the front left. Hey, we got the shots ! We dropped the car and ripped our clothes. But ! Hey ! We got the shots.

So, as we drove back to more shocked faces waiting for us at the opposing hill, the couple was out together and visible through the bush. (Pic : 7 ) MP identified her. It was Tara. He'd found her alright.

Tara has cubs right now. What this female does is that she engages in fake mating to lure males away from her kids. She then gives the males a slip when they’re a safe distance from her cubs and returns home instead of indulging in the 5 day marathon that a leopard mating session usually is. She’s lactating and won’t get pregnant. MP knows this well and when the couple disappeared into the cave, there was no doubt in our minds where we were gonna head to that afternoon.

Afternoon turned to evening by the time we saw those two again though. They had made their way down the hill and were seen on a rock almost at path level a ways away from where we had spotted them from that morning. That’s where I caught my first pictures of big cats mating. Fake albeit. (Pics : 9-11 ) I wish the pictures were better, clearer, closer, but then that’s always the way with first experiences in wildlife photography for me. I’m so happy I have them.

Tara had come through for me again and delivered an amazing sighting. She’s lost a lot of weight but she has young cubs so I guess it’s justified. We returned to her territory a couple of times after this but I guess she was keeping her head down with that male she outsmarted that day around.

Beauty with Brains, that Tara.