About

Guldaar is the Hindi and Urdu word for the leopard: the spotted cat that lives closer to people than any other big cat on earth, and the one that has haunted village nights for centuries.

This blog collects true stories of man-eating leopards and the hunters, trackers and villagers who faced them. Many come from the classic jungle literature of India, but the stories are not limited to one country. Wherever a leopard has turned on people, there is a story worth telling.

How the stories are written

Every story here is retold in our own words from published first-hand accounts, and the original book and author are always credited at the end of the post. If a story grips you, we encourage you to read the original.

The illustrations are genuine vintage engravings and plates from 19th and early 20th century natural history and sporting books, all in the public domain. No AI-generated images are used.

Where we stand

These are stories from a different age. Guldaar does not promote hunting. Leopards today are protected wildlife, and most conflicts between people and leopards begin with lost forests, lost prey and livestock left unguarded. Understanding the old stories is one way to understand how to live alongside these cats today.

The author

Guldaar is written and maintained by Durga Panda. For suggestions, corrections or questions, please visit the Contact page.

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