An extremely rare BLACK leopard named “Bagheera” with dark fur around its spots due to a genetic trait is sighted in India’s “Land of Mowgli” National Park
- The big cat was spotted in Pench National Park in Bhopal, central India
- He was last seen in November 2020 at the Land of Mowgli Park
- The leopard’s black color is the result of melanism, the opposite of albinism
An extremely rare all-black leopard has been spotted in India after a two-year absence.
The big cat, named Bagheera after the Jungle Book character, has been sighted in the forests of Bhopal in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Pench National Park is also affectionately known as the Land of the Mowgli, after the character of Rudyard Kipling, due to the incredible variety of animals that live in the jungle, including a tiger reserve.
An extremely rare all-black leopard has been spotted in India after a two-year absence
The big cat, named Bagheera after the Jungle Book character, has been spotted in the forests of Bhopal
The park is affectionately known as the Land of the Mowgli, after the character of Rudyard Kipling
It claims to be the setting for the classic book and film, although this is disputed, and Kipling never visited the area.
The animal was last sighted in November 2020 and park officials believe it is the same leopard seen previously.
Footage of its most recent sighting shows the leopard darting across a track and perched in a tree.
It can also be seen walking alongside a leopard with regular patterns and colors.
In the most recent sighting, the big cat with regular patterns and colors was spotted alongside a leopard
The animal was last sighted in November 2020 but has reappeared in Pench National Park
Its genetic variation, the opposite of albinism, results in an excess of darker pigmentation
The black color of the leopard is the result of melanism.
This genetic variation, the opposite of albinism, results in an excess of dark pigmentation.
Black leopards are usually associated with dense forests, where it is believed that their dark coloring helps them hide in the shadows.
Most recorded black leopard sightings have therefore been in the forests of Asia and very rarely in Africa.
The black leopard can also be referred to as the black panther as this is an umbrella term that simply refers to any large cat that has a black coat.
Earlier this year, two extremely rare “black” tigers were captured while strolling through Nandankanan National Park in eastern India.
The stunning creatures have only been sighted in the state of Odisha and experts have claimed in recent years that there are only seven to eight left in the region.
Black tigers get their distinctive appearance from genetic mutations called pseudomelanism, in which their dark stripe pattern blends onto light orange-gold fur, often making their fur look completely dark.
Such tigers were rare even when the population of wild cats in the country was plentiful centuries ago.
Most recorded black leopard sightings have therefore been in the forests of Asia and very rarely in Africa
The black leopard can also be referred to as the black panther as this is an umbrella term that simply refers to any large cat that has a black coat
Black leopards are usually associated with dense forests, where it is believed that their dark coloring helps them hide in the shadows
A black tiger also spotted by a stunned animal lover in Odisha in late 2020 and photographed by amateur photographer Soumen Bajpayee.
Black tiger sightings have only been recorded at Similipal in Odisha since 2007, but have been observed there since 1993.
The Financial Express reports that alleged sightings of all-black tigers were made as early as 1773 when artist James Forbes painted one in Kerala.
Similar rumors were made in Myanmar in 1913 and in China in the 1950s.
Extremely rare “black” tigers have been captured while strolling through Nandankanan National Park in eastern India. The stunning creatures have only been seen in the state of Odisha so far
Black tigers get their distinctive appearance from genetic mutations called pseudomelanism, in which their dark stripe pattern blends onto light orange-gold fur, yielding a dark black appearance
