At a picturesque homestay in Rampuria, a small village in the Darjeeling hills, the nightly routine is as telling as it is cautious. Around 10pm, Amit — a cook in his 30s — begins calling all the dogs indoors. By the time the clock strikes 10, all the strays are safely locked inside the ground floor of the homestay. The doors are padlocked — not to keep the dogs in, but to keep something else out. Guests, too, are strictly advised against stepping outside after dark.
Naturally, questions arose. What threat could possibly disturb the serenity of this peaceful hamlet?
The answer came in whispers, shared by Amit and another homestay worker affectionately called ‘Bhai’ by both tourists and locals. Their hushed tones spoke of leopards — elusive, nocturnal predators — whose silent presence often shrouds the hills.
These big cats are rarely seen during the day, but are known to prowl the area after dark, particularly during the monsoon season, when they stealthily cross the hills. While they generally avoid humans, they are known to prey on stray dogs.
Amit recalled one chilling night when he spotted a leopard crossing a forest trail. Frozen in fear, he hid behind a rock — his only close encounter in two years. “They mostly come for the dogs,” he said, adding that all strays at all neighbouring homestays are kept indoors after sunset.
A view of neighbouring forest regions from the homestay in Rampuria Sukanya Dey
Curiosity kept us awake that night and we peered into the dark from the balcony in the hope of spotting one. We didn’t. But the next day, while travelling to the Takdah Orchid Nursery and Forest Reserve — about an hour’s drive from Rampuria — we posed the same question to our driver, Asaf.
“Leopards are often seen during the monsoons,” he said. “They’ve never attacked us, so we aren’t afraid. They prey on animals in the forest, not people.” A local guide as well, Asaf regularly leads visitors through the offbeat routes of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.
At Takdah, nursery staff and forest reserve officials confirmed the presence of leopards in the surrounding areas. Once a British military cantonment, Takdah isn’t widely known as a habitat for leopards, but their presence has been noted across nearby forest zones like Rampuria. Sightings are rare, and officials do not maintain a formal count. However, the signs are there.
“There are many deer in the forest. They are the leopards’ main food source,” said one forest official. When asked about attacks on stray animals, he admitted that while such incidents are not very common, local homestay owners have reported a few cases in recent years.
A view of Takdah forest covered in mist from Takdah orchid nursery Sukanya Dey
Takdah, with its mist-laded orchid nurseries, colonial-era bungalows, sprawling tea gardens, and towering pine trees, is among West Bengal’s most beautiful hill destinations. But beyond its postcard beauty lies a secret that is often spoken of in hushed tones — the quiet but certain presence of big cats.
According to the West Bengal Zoo Authority, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a flagship species for conservation across Asia’s high mountain ecosystems. They face a multitude of threats — from habitat fragmentation and prey depletion to poaching and illegal trade. Listed under Appendix I of CITES and Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the snow leopard remains critically endangered.