Elusive black leopards steal spotlight at Tadoba-Andhari reserve

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve TATR, known as a premier habitat for big cats in Maharashtra, has become a haven for elusive melanistic or black leopards, as visitors and wildlife enthusiasts are being treated to regular sightings of the rare predator. Apart from TATR, black leopards have also been sighted in the Pench and Navegaon-Nagzira tiger reserves.

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), known as a premier habitat for big cats in Maharashtra, has become a haven for elusive melanistic or black leopards, as visitors and wildlife enthusiasts are being treated to regular sightings of the rare predator. According to foresters, these stealth animals, referred to as the ghosts of the forest, have made the TATR in Chandrapur district their home over the years. There are currently more than three black leopards at the TATR, spanning 622.87 sq km, a senior forest officer said. Recent frequent sightings have turned these elusive felines into a highlight for visiting wildlife enthusiasts. Wildlife photographer Ranveer Singh Gautam spotted a black leopard near Fulejhari tekdi in the Keslaghat forest range of the reserve on Friday, and his photographs have gone viral on social media. A black leopard was first captured on a camera trap in the Botezari area on the border of Kolasa and Moharli, in the reserve, in 2014, but eluded patrolling forest personnel. A Belgian couple visiting the reserve sighted a melanistic leopard in May 2018, which became the first recorded instance. Apart from TATR, black leopards have also been sighted in the Pench and Navegaon-Nagzira tiger reserves. TATR is regarded as one of the world's most preferred tiger destinations with over 80 tigers in the reserve and 200 in the larger landscape.

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