’Evolutionisanexquisiteartist,evenifanunconsciousone.’-EricDinersteinTheleopardisperhapsoneoftheworld’smostbeautifulcreatures.Thespotsonitsbodyareevenromanticallycalled’rosettes’.Itissocialbutsolitary,inconspicuousbutsignificantinnumbers,largebutelusive,anddoesnotfitanyofthepigeonholesoflarge-catconservation.InIndia,theleopardisaposterboyofthefighttopreservewildlife,butinmanycountries,itfaceseitherecologicalorlocalextinction.Aworryingphenomenon,giventhatthesecatscarryoutimportantecosystemservicesthathavenotbeenfullyunderstoodyet.InLeopardDiaries:TheRosetteinIndia,SanjayGubbi,whohasstudiedanddocumentedtheleopardfornearlyadecade,givesusacloselookatthisfascinatingcreature.Fromdetailingitsfoodhabitstothrowingnewlightonhowtheyoungarereared,fromofferingsuggestionsontacklingleopard-humanconflicttoimaginingthefutureofthisarrestinganimal,thisbookisa360-degreeviewoftheleopard,itsecologicalcontext,itsfraughtrelationshipwiththehumanworld,andhowwildlifeandhumanbeingscanfindawaytoco-exist.
