Maharashtra: Black panther rescued in Ratnagiri

This black panther is male

A villager's prompt alert to the forest department in Ratnagiri resulted in the successful rescue of a black melanistic leopard that was ensnared in wire fencing of a mango orchard. On Wednesday morning, Padmanath alias Pintya Kotharkar of Kuveshi village informed the range forest officer of Rajapur forest department about the black cat getting trapped in the mango orchard of Harshad Hareshwar Manjarekar.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Girija Desai said, "We rushed to the spot along with the rescue team and found that the melanistic leopard was trapped in the fence wire. With the help of our experienced staff, the melanistic leopard was rescued within fifteen minutes and shifted into the trap cage."

Subsequently, the leopard was examined by veterinary officer Dr Prajakta Barge and Prabhakar Kinre of Rajapur, who confirmed it was in good condition. This black panther is a male, approximately 5 to 6 years old. DFO has appealed to the public to contact the forest department's toll-free number 1926 or 9421741335 in case of finding any wild animal in distress.

In May 2018, a family from Belgium visiting the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) was lucky to spot a partial melanistic leopard or black panther - an animal usually spotted only in the Konkan region, Goa, and Kabini in Karnataka. It was the first time that the animal was captured on camera.

In November 2020, a tour operator spotted a black leopard while on a safari at the Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, also known as ‘Mowgli Land'. In July 2021, a black leopard was spotted in a camera trap during a census in Nawegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve which is spread over Gondia and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra. Also in 2021, a year-old melanistic leopard had fallen into a well in Sindhudurg. It was rescued from Goveri village close to Kudal town in Sindhudurg and later released into the wild.

What are black panthers?

Melanistic leopards are commonly called black panthers or black leopards. They are found in the forests of the Western Ghats and north-east India. The black colour of their fur is actually a mixture of blue, black, grey, and purple.