The Jhalana Leopard Safari currently hosts more than 40 leopards and 5 cubs! Other than leopards you can spot Striped hyenas, Indian civets, desert cats, jungle cats, desert foxes, jackals, porcupines, jungle rats, monitor lizards, and mongooses, Sambar deer, spotted deer (chital), Blue Bull (Nilgai) and a variety of snakes. You also have the opportunity of visiting Shikaar Audi, the three-storeyed hunting lodge of the Royal families of Jaipur. It is located right in the middle of the leopard reserve! It has an animal-spotting platform from where you can also enjoy the sunrise and sunset.
Safari in Jhalana became operational for visitors way back in 2016. With a good and healthy population of leopards, Jhalana safari park is the best place to sight a leopard. Sometimes it just happens within the 5 minutes of entering the park. Due to their diurnal nature Leopards can be seen in the daytime as they are not scared of the presence of jeeps and humans in their natural habitat. Jhalana safari park gains quick popularity among wild enthusiasts and holds a prominent place in wildlife tourism in the world. Nestled lazily in the foothills of the magnificent hilly terrain of Aravali, the park is the fantastic gateway to an adventure-filled holiday amidst the raw nature along with an unforgettable sighting of exotic wild animals.
Facts :-
Jhalana Leopard Reserve is the 1st Leopard reserve in India
Jhalana Leopard Conservation Reserve has more than 40 Leopards including 5 cubs.
The last tiger was shot in 1948.
Jhalana is spread over an area of 20. square kilometers.
In 2017 Jhalana was identified as a Leopard Reserve by Rajasthan Forest Department.
Jhalana was opened for the first time for tourists in December 2016.
Flora In Jhalana Leopard Reserve – narrow valleys of the Aravallis and sharp cliffs of hills dominate the landscape of Jhalana Leopard Reserve. The captivating natural surroundings of the forest of Jhalana and the tranquility here are extremely relaxing and a delight for the mind. The presence of such great wildlife in the urban region makes this land a different and unique site for nature enthusiasts.
Jhalana is a dry deciduous forest. The forest remains dry most of the time of the year as trees shed their leaves in the dry season and lush emeralds during the monsoons. The Jhalana forest is dominated by plants like juliflora (Prosopis juliflora) and khejri (Prosopis cineraria). The rapidly growing juliflora was initially planted to provide firewood for local villagers. However, trees do not support the growth of other grasslands and trees. The slanting valleys have more Local flora variety such as dhak (Butea monosperma), salar (Boswellia serrata), dhonk (Anogeissus pendula), and kumta (Acacia senegal).
Fauna In Jhalana Leopard Reserve – Obviously, the majestic Leopard is the prime and most covered mammal of this Jhalana Leopard Reserve, which is also the top predator of the region and who comes first in the food chain of the Jhalana forest reserve. Although the Leopard is known to be a nocturnal, solitary, shy, and rare-sighted predator with a master of stealth hunting skills, Leopards of the Jhalana National Park are diurnal in nature like tigers in Ranthambore and Sariska, due to which they are easily visible in the daytime making it one of the most visited reserve forests by Leopard lovers.
Apart from the Leopard, other big cats of the Jhalana Leopard Park are Leopard, Indian civets, desert cats, and jungle cats. This forest also provides food and shelter to other animals like Striped Hyena, desert foxes, jackals, porcupines, jungle rats, monitor lizards, mongooses, Sambar deer, spotted deer (chital), Blue Bull (Nilgai), and a variety of snakes.
A lot of rare bird species are found in Jhalana Leopard Reserve which makes this place a paradise for bird watching. Birds like the Indian Pitta, Dusky Eagle, Owl, Spotted Owlet, etc. can be seen in Jhalana National Park.