Rajasthan has always been the home for Big Cats –Tigers, Leopards and Lions too! The last lion of Mount Abu in Rajasthan was spotted in 1872. By the late 1870s, lions were extinct in Rajasthan. The last tiger was shot in 1948, and its cubs were relocated to the Jaipur Zoo. Since then, leopards have been the apex predator here.
In the early 19th century, Jhalana was a popular hunting ground with eminent state officials being frequent visitors. The old Shikar Audhi (Hunting Palace) stands as a testament to its popularity.

Leopards are the hardiest of all big cats and can survive of a variety of prey. They are elusive, solitary, and largely nocturnal. It is estimated that about 12,000 to 14,000 leopards live within India and can seen in the Shivalik Hills and Gangetic plains, Central India and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, as well as the Brahmaputra River basin and hills in Northeast India.
The Jhalana leopard have a smaller build compared to leopards in other parts of the country, and is perhaps the reason why adult blue bulls, or nilgai (antelope), abundant in the forest are not its preferred prey. Without this natural check, antelopes overgraze, thus diminishing food resources for other herbivores such as chital, also known as spotted deer. Since the chital population is on the decline in Jhalana, leopards have adapted to kill and survive on smaller prey such as peacocks, monkeys, partridges, and squirrels. They have also been recorded eating peahen eggs, monitor lizards, and occasionally making dog and pig kills in the forest peripheries.

Jhalana extends across the southeastern part of Jaipur. The Aravali ranges run from north to the south of the forest. North of Jhalana is the Amagarh Reserve Forest, which is separated from Jhalana by a busy National Highway. The western and the southern boundary of the Jhalana forest adjoin heavily populated suburbs of Jaipur City, and the eastern boundary has villages and new settlements.