They are one of the deadliest predators in India, and their incredible camouflage means you probably wouldn’t spot one until it was too late…
Leopards are ambush hunters who rely on their mottled fur to blend in with their surroundings as they creep up on prey.
And as these images show, the agile cats can be very difficult to make out against the rugged landscape.
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He's in there, promise
These images were captured by big cat conservationist Adam Bannister during a research project at the Sujan Jawai Leopard Camp in Rajasthan, India.
He said: “Leopards are responsible for numerous deaths in India, so when I heard about a village where people and leopards lived such in close quarters without incident, I had to see it for myself.
“I have worked with the big cats in three continents, and experienced human-wildlife conflict first-hand and this area is truly unique in terms of how humans and leopards co-exist.
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"They see them more in a spiritual context. And there are still many more leopards out there - I'm sure of it."
Bannister was in the village to test the viability of eco-tourism in the area.
He spent several several months documenting 21 leopards within a 70km2 radius some coming as close as 200m to the village.
Leopard
