Highlights
- Indian photographer captures a rare photo of a female leopard and her partner, a black panther
- The black panther is a rare phenomenon, and it's actually a leopard with an excess of melanin.
- The photograph was taken in Kabini forests, located in Southern India.
Mithun says the rare photo of this couple was a dream come true.
“Its something I would dream of, ever since I saw the black panther with the leopard. I did not ever dream of anything even close to what I got in the picture," Mithun told SBS Hindi.
"It was a perfect moment, both looked at the camera together and they were walking in a synchronized manner together, and that was a bonus for sure.”
Indian photographer shares the story behind this viral image of a leopard and black panther couple. Read here: https://bit.ly/31yQpHE Posted by SBS Hindi on Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Mithun says it took him six long days of silently waiting at one spot to get the capture.
"The Kabini forests are an amazing wildlife habitat with the most diverse Asiatic wildlife in the world.
"I have spent a lot of time in the jungles since I was seven or eight years old.
“I have a huge passion for big cats- especially leopards and for the last 15 years I have been following their individual characteristics, different families, different generations,” he says.
Mithun says he first spotted the black panther in the forests in 2014.
“The black panther came into my life in 2014. Cleopatra, the female leopard and the black panther, Saaya met in 2016.
"I named the female leopard, Cleopatra in 2009 after I saw her lazing and stretching in a regal manner on trees. Saaya [Hindi for shadow] is the name I gave to the black panther because he was dark and like a shadow, moved about in the nights, using his colour to some advantage," Mithun says.
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Mithun says he finally captured them together when he was filming for the show 'The Real Black Panther' for the National Geographic Channel.
"This was shot on a surreal winter morning when a single Deer alarm led me to this breathtaking sight.
"Saaya and Cleopatra have been courting since 4 years now and whenever they are together it’s a sight to behold. The forest comes alive as they trot nonchalantly in his fabled kingdom.
"Usually in the courting pairs generally it is the Male who takes charge and moves around with the female following close behind. But with this couple, it was definitely Cleo who was in charge while the Panther followed," Mithun said of the photo.
A black panther is a rare phenomenon, Mithun H says.
"It is a rare thing [black panther]. This may happen in one out of a thousand chances. Once it’s born it’s like any other leopard with an excess of melanin pigment, and other leopards don’t differentiate among them. He was completely accepted by the entire leopard community,” Mithun says.
According to Mithun H, who has followed Saaya for years, says when the sunlight falls on Saaya’s coat, the spots which are hidden due to the melanin become visible.
"When the eternal couple Cleopatra and Saaya are ready to mate they come together for 10-15 days then take a break. It is a huge investment of their time and energy.
“When they are together, the romance is visible. It is absolutely stunning, the deer, the monkeys flee. The two call out to one another and make loud noises. It is a breathtaking sight. You have to be there to experience it,” Mithun explains.
"When they are far away and need to mate, they give out a roar which is called leopard sawing, it’s like the carpenter using a saw. They communicate with each other when they are at long distances.”
The 31-year-old says wildlife photography is not dangerous at all.
“The most important thing is, you have to respect the animal and give it it’s space. Animals are actually ten times more scared of you than you think.”
