Jungle Book 2026
This is a
somewhat fanciful sequel to my previous post under Bhopal Ecology Journal
series, “When a Leopard Comes Visiting…”
(Link: https://www.pkdash.in/2026/09/when-leopard-comes-visiting.html
)
Recently,
somewhere in the dense jungles of Samardha, not far from Bhopal, an urgent
meeting was held by T-1 (Tiger No. 1), the King.
He was an
able ruler, thought more and spoke less, and generally opened his mouth to
kill, eat, or roar at potential challengers. So, he came straight to the point.
“These two
princes have come of age and need their own territory. My jungle is not enough
for them. Which adjacent territory should we capture and occupy?”
The elder
prince raised a whisker and was permitted to speak by the King.
“O King, why
don’t you send us to win our own territory? I could go east, and Chotu to the
west—or the other way round, if he so prefers. That’s the hoary Tiger
Tradition, I recall you telling us when we were kids.”
“Well, the
times have changed, dear son. Earlier, we fought with rivals from our own kind.
Now, we are threatened by those pathetic, weak, bipedal creatures who have
grabbed much of our territory. But what can we do? They have lethal weapons
which they launch from a safe distance.”
“No risk, no
gain,” said the younger prince. He had heard the wise saying from the hyena,
his tutor.
The panther,
T-1’s Chief of Army, coughed gently. The King nodded that he might speak.
(Leopard at Panna Tiger Reserve, Mar 2026; Source: Wikimedia Commons)
“O Mighty
King, with your valour and supreme strength, you have kept this jungle safe for
all of us during your golden reign. Glory be to You. However, may I be bold
enough to recall that the humans snatched a large part of our jungle during the
reign of your great-grandfather? Why don’t we snatch it back?”
T-1 got a
little red in the face, but his Army Chief had stated a fact well-known to all the
jungle animals, and he had the wisdom and sagacity to handle it with equanimity.
“But how
shall we accomplish it? Do you have a strategy? What are the risks?”
“I’ve given
much thought to the issue, O King. Reclaiming the glory of our kingdom is your
cherished dream. What use is my life if I cannot realise my King’s desire? I’m
fully aware of the many risks. It would be unwise to expose our young princes
to such huge risks. So, I’ll myself lead a small guerrilla force, surprise the
enemy, and snatch back the lost territory.”
“Isn’t there
the formidable bypass, with huge mechanical beasts roaring and speeding round
the clock? How would you manage to cross that dangerous pass?”
“Not to
worry, My Lord. I still have very strong leg muscles and can sprint faster than
those behemoths. I’ve also learnt to look both ways before darting across. The
mechanical beasts are dangerous, but predictable.”
The meeting
ended.
The Chief
led the stealth operation. He was accompanied by his two sons, who could sprint
even faster than Dad.
They entered
the lost territory at night and positioned themselves at three strategic points
in the jungle. The villagers and forest guards spotted them the next morning
and were very scared. Search parties scanned the forest, drones whirred
overhead, and trap cameras were set at many locations.
But the
Chief and his sons, masters of stealth, eluded them.
The Chief
sent a message to his King through the trusted Blue Rock Pigeon:
Mission
Accomplished. Territory reclaimed.
Eco Park was
closed to visitors on September 28, 2026, and remains closed.
The King has
reclaimed his lost territory.
***
The current
status (as on 7 Oct 2026) of Ecological Park, Laharpur, Bhopal:
Forest
Department teams, supported by search patrols, drones, and 10–15 camera traps
installed across a 20–25 km radius around Katara Hills and Laharpur, have been
scanning the region. While locals reported sightings, forest officials have
noted that some reported sightings turned out to be other wildlife, such as
jackals/jackal pairs. However, pugmarks and potential big cat movement remain
under active monitoring, and no animal has been caged or tranquilized yet.
A cow has
been killed, but only a small portion was eaten. Maybe the forest officials
spotted the kill before the leopard got a chance to drag the carcass away for
hiding.
The Forest
Department has prohibited public access, specifically banning morning and
evening walks, as a safety precaution until the area is cleared and certified
safe by wildlife authorities.
Leopard
Habitat
Leopards
inhabit a variety of terrain. They are most populous in mesic woodlands,
grassland savannas, and forests. They also occupy mountainous, scrub, and
desert habitats. They favour trees throughout their entire geographic
distribution…
Each
individual has a unique coat, which can be used for identification.
Behaviour
Leopards are
solitary, nocturnal carnivores. Although they sometimes hunt during overcast
days, they are less diurnal in areas close to humans in comparison to
uninhabited areas. They mark their territory with urine, faeces, and claw marks
and communicate with conspecifics by growling, roaring, and spitting when
aggravated and purring when content. They also make a rasping cough to
advertise their presence to conspecifics. Leopards are most comfortable in the
lower forest canopy, where they often feed, and descend from the canopy
head-first. They are comfortable in water and are adequate swimmers. When
hunting, leopards move with a slow, crouching walk. They can run at bursts of
up to 60 km/hour, jump more than 6 m horizontally and 3 m vertically. Leopards
are facultative drinkers and obtain much of their water requirements from
ingested prey. Leopards have advanced vision and hearing, which makes them
especially adept at hunting in dense forests.
***
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