Greetings on International Leopard Day

International Leopard Day was recently celebrated on May 3rd, to raise awareness and support for leopard conservation.

The day aims to promote awareness about the threats facing leopards and their habitats, including habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.

The Leopard is a Gentleman

They say a leopard never changes its spots — and neither do people change their opinions about it.

One of India’s most misunderstood and unfairly maligned apex predators, the leopard often gets a bad reputation.

I had a thrilling, unforgettable encounter with one in the hills of Uttarakhand. It happened in Binsar, nestled in the Kumaon region.

Club Mahindra has two resorts there — one at a lower elevation, and the other perched atop a hill.

While a winding Ghat road connects the two, there’s also a shorter, lesser-used path that cuts through a dense forest—usually taken by the staff. It’s quiet, isolated, and surrounded by nature at its wildest.

Eager to explore the region’s bird-life, I began rising at 5 a.m. each day, walking this forest path in search of Himalayan birds.

This was my first visit to Kumaon, and I was absolutely captivated by the variety of birds — so different from what we see in South India.

For a few days, I was rewarded with delightful sightings.

Then, on what must have been the third or fourth morning, I was focused on tracking a flitting Greenish Warbler in a Kaaphal tree. A ridge behind me rose slightly higher than the narrow trail I was on.

Suddenly, I heard a sound — a loud, rhythmic sawing sound, as if someone was cutting wood with a handsaw.My first reaction was anger; “Who’s illegally cutting trees at this hour?”

Then a thought struck me —people here don’t use saws, they use axes…and that’s when it hit me —This was no woodcutter.

It was a leopard’s call.

My hair stood on end.

The leopard was right behind me, on the ridge — so close that one leap could’ve brought it down on me. The sound continued for a full two minutes, echoing through the trees.

Heart pounding, I resisted the primal urge to run. Instead, I called out the name of a local I had met and befriended the previous day.

No response.

I called again — louder this time.

Still, nothing.

I stood frozen, every second stretching endlessly. Finally, the sawing stopped.I waited a few more moments before cautiously making my way back to the resort, constantly glancing over my shoulder.

Every boulder, every shadow seemed like a leopard ready to pounce.

Relief flooded me when I finally saw the resort gates.

I rushed to my room and took a hot shower to calm my frayed nerves.

The next day, on our way to the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, we spotted a leopard in the middle of the road.

At the sight of our vehicle, it gracefully disappeared into the bushes—but not before locking eyes with us.

It watched from the shadows, its gaze intense and unblinking.

I shared the story with our driver.

He told me that several man-eating leopards haunt these forests, troubling the nearby villages.

When caught, they’re taken to the Leopard Capture Centre in Almora.

A chill ran down my spine. Could the leopard I had encountered, have been one of them?

But to me, he was a gentleman!

He let me pass unharmed, without so much as a growl.

That thought filled me with awe and deep respect for this often vilified creature.

© Dr Prasad J. Kamath, Gynaecologist; Endoscopic Surgeon.
A Nature Enthusiast by passion.