Bera Leopard Safari: A mini Yala in untouched Rajasthan
Published on: July 15, 2021 | Last Updated: April 20, 2025
It was way back in 2004 that I first heard about the wild leopards of Bera, Rajasthan. I had been enjoying India tiger safaris since my first 3 month India wildlife holiday taken in 1997 and I had enjoyed plenty of luck when it came to seeing tigers in the wild; but a quality sighting of the elusive Asian Leopard had eluded me. This in part can be explained by the fact that leopards are very cautious around tigers, so a good sighting inside the best places to see tigers in India – such as Ranthambhore or Bandhavgarh – would be quite rare indeed. In addition, leopards are much more nocturnal in their behaviour compared to tigers, so the reality is you are leaving the India national parks, just when leopards are starting to become more active.
Leopard Safari in India: What’s so special about Bera?
Back in 2004, all I knew was that there was an owner of a hotel taking clients in his 1960’s antique jeep (complete with a front windscreen that folded down!) to an arid, rocky area, close to the Jawai dam crocodile sanctuary. There is very little natural prey for the leopards in this area, so they survive by living close to the villages and hunting their goats and dogs. I was fascinated by this big cat living in such close proximity to local villagers; whose main income was from grazing large herds of goats amongst the weathered rock formations. It is common to see the distinctive Rabari tribesman walking through the middle of prime leopard habitat with their large herds. It is important to note, that most of this area is simply village lands and degraded forests and has no legal protection for the leopards and other resident wildlife, although this has been debated over the years as to weather they should designate this a leopard sanctuary.
On a return visit just before the Covid Lockdown I was watching a female leopard and her two cubs when another photographer arrived to set up his equipment. He turns out to be an officier from one of the nearby parks and he also was researching the chance to see if this area could be given the status of a wildlife sanctuary. This would not afford full protection to the Bera Leopards, but it would be a step in the right direction. Having said that this region is really unique for the incredible tolerance the Rabari tribals show towards the resident leopard population despite the heavy toll they take on their goat herds. Revenge killings of big cats are much more common around India’s tiger sanctuaries than they are here in Bera and research has shown that both religion and the beliefs of the Rabari give the Bera leopard population a high level of protection that is not found in other areas of India. This special relationship between the Rabari and the Bera leopards have brought us back to this landscape time and time again and made our Bera leopard safaris one of our favourite India wildlife holidays.
My first Bera Leopard safari: Ooops, don’t forget to read your video manual
On our very first night time drive in this remote and little visited location, we saw a female leopard resting on top of a large boulder. As we watched, a local dog from the nearby village barked at a perceived danger and the female leopards entire alert body and gaze was ‘locked onto’ this call. She was truly beautiful and although photographs were difficult to take, we drove back to the hotel with the memory of her fierce stare and the knowledge that when we left her, the hunt was about the start.
The following day we were even luckier, as from some distance (approximately 400M) we spotted 3 different leopards together on the ridge of a massive rock face. We then spent the entire morning watching them. One was obviously a mating pair; which made the presence of the other younger female within 100 metres of the pair, fairly unusual. We were rewarded with a mating roar, which reverberated around the entire mountain, before heading back to the hotel for a much needed large breakfast.
The following day our luck continued and we came across the mating pair again but this time the male Bera Leopard was lying on a lower ledge while the female ‘kept an eye on him’ from above. We watched them both for around 20 minutes before the excitement levels increased, as the female jumped down from her position to move closer to the male. Our vehicle was positioned some distance away so our guide proposed I walk to the forest infront of the rocks and take up a good position for video footage with cover provided by the trees. I followed his advice and managed to get some video of the male sniffing around the female but not immediation ‘action’
After a few minutes pause the female initiated mating and it had the whole sequence clear in the view finder and was utterly amazed at the intensity of the mating and the roars after, which echoed around the hilly terrain. The two leopards moved out of sight and I rushed back to the vehicle to show the video to the guide, as well as my travelling companion. Yes, we could see the initial scent checking by the male but then the video stopped. What I had not realised about this new video recorder was it had an auto power off setting after a few minutes of not using and all I was seeing was the live view throught the screen, but it had not been recording. ‘Gutted’ does not come close to describing my immense disappointment at missing out on a video of a lifetime but as with all passions and hobbies in the early stages, it was a lesson well learnt.
A Leopard Safari in India: Why not have the best of both worlds?
Discovering the Bera Leopards back in 2004 at a time when most of our clients were only interested in India tiger safaris was a real revelation. I had taken a Sri Lanka leopard safari in 2002 as our India wildlife holidays started to become very popular and some of our clients were looking for new wildlife safari experiences. The huge male leopards I had seen on my Sri Lanka wildlife holiday had been very impressive but I was keen to try and put together a combined tiger and leopard safari in the same country and Bera gave me that opportunity.
Best wildlife lodges in Bera, Rajasthan
All our recommendations for your wildlife lodges in India are based on our personal stays at the property and location, food and of course, good quality wildlife guides to accompany you on your leopard safari in Rajasthan; are much more important than ostentatious luxury. When I stayed in the very basic hotel back in 2004, I encouraged the owner to think about building a semi-permanent tented camp in the Bera region. He never followed by advice, but now a couple of young Indian entrepreneurs – with a deep connection with the local region – have set up camps and are offering some fantastic values leopard safaris in Jawai. Check out our personal videos of Varawal Tented Camp and Godwad Leopard Camp.
When you read about leopard safaris in this part of Rajasthan you will see references to both Bera and Jawai – there is a huge dam in the area known as the Jawai Bandh. You can think of these two locations as being roughly in the same part of the Pali district of Rajathan, located about half way between Jodhpur and Udaipur – both of which are very accessible by flight from either Delhi or Mumbai. The main railway line from Delhi to Mumbai forms part of the boundary of this large habitat for leopards and indeed I have been viewing wild leopards as a huge train noisely passed us in the early morning light.
How to organise your Bera leopard safari?
If like us you would like to see Leopards in Bera, then why not look at adding it into your Rajasthan cultural tour. As already mentioned, it is very easy to include as an extension from Udaipur, or Jodhpur and many of our clients combine a tiger safari in Ranthambhore with a leopard safari in Bera. Check our one of our clients favourites, a 7 day Bera Leopard safari . Anytime of year is good for seeing Leopards in Rajasthan; but be prepared for very cold early morning safaris from December to February. This is also a great time to see migratory birds stopping off at the various water bodies in this mainly arid region.
Another important point, when considering the best time of year to see leopards in India, is that since Bera and Jawai are not part of any India national park or wildlife sanctuary, they do not close during the monsoon months for road repairs, which means if you found yourself in India during the July to September period you can still enjoy a big cat safari by heading down to southern Rajasthan. Yes, heavy rains may affects some of the roads, but in general the landscape is drive and rocky so the excellent 4X4 jeeps will still be able to head out on game drives.
What to expect on your Bera leopard safari?
If you have been lucky enough to enjoy a tiger safari in India in previous years you can expect this leopard safari to be a very different experience and I think for the most part a ‘freer’ and more intimate experience, as you don’t have the excessive bureaucracy and admin that can diminish the India tiger safari experience for the first time visitor. Even the accommodation, often tented camps in scenic locations, add a sense of wilderness and connection, despite the fact that you are never very far from a Rabari tribal village.
The daily routine of morning and afternoon jeep safaris follows a similar rythmn to the other wildlife sanctuaries of India but there is more flexbilitiy to stop, enjoy a packed breakfast and coffee, or visit one of the beautiful Rabari villages as part of the safari experience.
There are no set routes for your Bera leopard safari. One moment you find yourself ‘climbing’ a 25% sheer rocky slope in your 4X4 and the next you are pushing through scrub Acacia trying to get a clear view of a leopard enjoying the warmth of the morning sun with her cubs. It feels raw and authentic and a perfect way to start your day in a land and with a local culture so different from your own – at least for most of us!
There is no need to head out early for the afternoon game drive as the leopards will not be active during the heat of the day. Back in the day when we first visited night time drives were allowed with spot lighting (we have mixed feelings about this type of activity), but with the growth in visitors to the area this was stopped to ensure less disturbance to the leopards and also the nearby Rabari villages who follow a natural rythmn connected to the sun going down as many do not have access to electricity.
Quick summary and the best thing about a Bera leopard safari
We often find when on an India tiger safari, or a leopard safari, that we don’t just enjoy the wildlife experience. Since most of the national parks and big cat habitat is located near rural villages, you also get the chance to see a way of life that has existed for centuries with very little change. So not only are your eyes drawn to the amazing resident wildlife, they are also fascinated by the many local communities you pass through. Of course, they are equally curious as to why you are there, and this can be used in a positive as a tool for wildlife conservation. We all hope here at Wildlife Trails that the leopards of Bera can continue to coexist with the beautiful Rabari people for many centuries to come.
