In India’s Tadoba National Park, a highly secretive black leopard was recently spotted. The beautiful image was spotted by Anurag Gawande,
a 24-year-old wildlife photographer. Anurag was on a safari earlier this year when he saw a melanistic leopard trying to hunt a deer cross a road.
When the rare wild cat was discovered, the lucky photographer was only 30 feet away. The 24-year-old couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw such a magnificent creature.
“It was unexpected since we expected to see a tiger, but instead we saw a black leopard wandering down the trail,” he said.
However, Anurag stated that this is the second time he has seen the unusual species in less than a year. “I was viewing it for the second time,” he explained.
“While viewing it, I felt the same rush, but this time I was more aware of the moment. We turned off our vehicle and stayed a safe distance away so it wouldn’t move.”
Experts estimate that only about 11% of leopards are born with distinctive coloration, making them highly unusual. Melanism can be found in a variety of species,
including tigers, foxes, and even penguins. Unlike albinism, which is caused by a lack of skin pigmentation, melanism is caused by a black pigmentation of the skin!
Watch the video below!
