The rare black leopard 'Bagheera' spotted and confirmed in Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh, where the Jungle Book was actually written
After decades, perhaps even 127 years, a black leopard characterized as ‘Bagheera’ in the famous novel ‘The Jungle Book’ by Rudyard Kipling was spotted in Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
Bagheera or the less-known black leopard came into picture and preview for most people through the fictional character. The character featured in Kipling's Mowgli stories in The Jungle Book (1894) and The Second Jungle Book (1895).
Bagheera is shown as black wild cat, a melanistic Indian leopard, who serves as friend, protector and mentor to the ‘man-cub’ Mowgli.
Now this black leopard is rarely seen and often just talked about in books. Black leopard is among those few rare species that have often been assumed to be just fictional adaptations of wild animals. For example: Pegasus, critters, dragons, etc.
However, the black leopard does exist and it makes its mark again in Pench, where Kipling was first inspired to write the Mowgli stories.
Fascinated by wildlife, a wild-life lover had been looking for Bagheera for decades. “For about two decades, I roam around in Pench, almost reliving the Jungle Book and living more exciting stories with wild-life here,” said Arpit (Monu) Dubey, the wild-life lover.
After all this time, he finally found the rare Bagheera, i.e. black leopard peaking through the bushes as he searched for a new adventure.
Dubey immediately captured the moment in his camera and now is among the few in world to have seen the black leopard. “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist,” he added, commenting on his experience.
Sharing more details about the black leopard, deputy conservator of forest Rajneesh Singh said, “Black leopards only differ from other leopards in the colour of their coat, a genetic variation that’s recessive and known as ‘melanism’.”
Melanism in leopards comes from a mutation that knocks out a gene that regulates the production of melanin. This causes an over production of pigment which turns the coat black.
“The coat still has all the same features as a non-melanistic leopard, including the rosettes or spots which is one of the pieces of evidence often used to confirm black leopards,” Singh said.
Melanistic leopards are uncommon, with some studies estimating that at most 11 percent of these animals have this coloration.
Bagheera or the less-known black leopard came into picture and preview for most people through the fictional character. The character featured in Kipling's Mowgli stories in The Jungle Book (1894) and The Second Jungle Book (1895).
Bagheera is shown as black wild cat, a melanistic Indian leopard, who serves as friend, protector and mentor to the ‘man-cub’ Mowgli.
Now this black leopard is rarely seen and often just talked about in books. Black leopard is among those few rare species that have often been assumed to be just fictional adaptations of wild animals. For example: Pegasus, critters, dragons, etc.
However, the black leopard does exist and it makes its mark again in Pench, where Kipling was first inspired to write the Mowgli stories.
Fascinated by wildlife, a wild-life lover had been looking for Bagheera for decades. “For about two decades, I roam around in Pench, almost reliving the Jungle Book and living more exciting stories with wild-life here,” said Arpit (Monu) Dubey, the wild-life lover.
After all this time, he finally found the rare Bagheera, i.e. black leopard peaking through the bushes as he searched for a new adventure.
Dubey immediately captured the moment in his camera and now is among the few in world to have seen the black leopard. “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist,” he added, commenting on his experience.
Sharing more details about the black leopard, deputy conservator of forest Rajneesh Singh said, “Black leopards only differ from other leopards in the colour of their coat, a genetic variation that’s recessive and known as ‘melanism’.”
Melanism in leopards comes from a mutation that knocks out a gene that regulates the production of melanin. This causes an over production of pigment which turns the coat black.
“The coat still has all the same features as a non-melanistic leopard, including the rosettes or spots which is one of the pieces of evidence often used to confirm black leopards,” Singh said.
Melanistic leopards are uncommon, with some studies estimating that at most 11 percent of these animals have this coloration.