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Black Panther and Two Leopards Stroll Together on Nilgiris Road

Viral CCTV footage of the rarely seen group walk has renewed attention to leopard conservation in the UNESCO-listed Western Ghats.

These are stills from a video shared by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan on X.
A viral clip showed a black panther strolling with two spotted leopards in the Nilgiris.
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Viral Video: Stunning Black Panther And 2 Leopards Spotted Patrolling Together In Rare Sight On Nilgiri Road

Overview

  • Roadside CCTV cameras in the Nilgiris recorded a melanistic leopard walking alongside two spotted leopards at around 2 AM on July 16.
  • Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan posted the 29-second video on X, dubbing the black panther “Bagheera” and explaining that black panthers are melanistic variants of the Indian leopard.
  • The synchronized nocturnal walk is exceptionally rare because leopards are typically solitary hunters.
  • Melanism arises from a genetic mutation that causes excess dark pigmentation while preserving the faint outline of a leopard’s rosettes under certain lighting.
  • Conservationists warn that habitat fragmentation and poaching threaten leopard populations and say that viral sightings can bolster protective policies.