The Bera Bond

'The Bera Bond is a magnificently illustrated book that comes with a deeply relevant message for our times' ? JAIRAM RAMESH

The Bera Bond is one man’s startling discovery of a little-known leopard colony in the forests of Rajasthan. Sundeep Bhutoria decided to see if there was any truth to the floating whispers about Bera, having been told by big-cat enthusiasts that it is here that leopards live harmoniously with humans. While across the globe, the coexistence of big cats with humans is marked by conflict, the leopards and the villagers in Bera have not attacked each other for more than a century.

With conservationist and photographer Shatrunjay Pratap Singh as his guide, Bhutoria discovers the myriad birds and animals of Bera. He also witnesses the camaraderie between the leopards and the local residents, the Rabari tribe.

Leopards are intensely private creatures, not given to flamboyant displays of magnificence as the tiger often is. This book captures not just the thrill of close encounters with leopards but also the challenges of preserving their habitat.