Forest department plans third leopard safari ‘Maila Bagh’ in Jaipur

JAIPUR: After Jhalana and Amagarh, ‘Maila Bagh’ could be a third leopard sanctuary in Jaipur where visitors can go on a safari. The development of the park is in the planning stage, and the forest department is awaiting sanction of its budget, said divisional forest officer (DFO) Kapil Chandrawal.
“Maila Bagh encompasses a portion of the Nahargarh Sanctuary area, which boasts of a substantial forest cover and a thriving leopard population.Our plan involves developing motorable tracks spanning an area of 20-25 square kilometers for tourists and augmenting the existing waterholes while creating new ones. We are currently working on determining the entry points, with one of them proposed at the Bheed Papad Hanuman Ji end,” Chandrawal said.
To emulate the success of leopard safaris in the state capital, the forest department is looking to preserve and enhance other small forest patches in a way that can also generate revenue.
A forest officer remarked, “With the leopard now sharing the limelight alongside the tiger, additional safaris in various parts of forest areas are on the horizon. While there is no official record of the leopard population in Rajasthan, it is estimated that the state is home to more than 500 of these majestic felines. Such initiatives aid in safeguarding wildlife and forests.”
Jhalana and Amagarh leopard safaris in Jaipur have become a huge hit with wildlife lovers. Many claim that they have become shining examples of wildlife tourism and are giving strong competition to other sanctuaries.
“If Ranthambore has tigers, there are leopards in Jhalana. One of the major attractions here is that tourists can spot leopards from close distance. Good sightings have put Jhalana and Amagarh safaris on the global map. There are several advance bookings of tourists from Mumbai, Delhi and southern states right up to mid-January,” said a tourist agent.