Unconfirmed sighting of black leopard in Pench

By Ashish Rajput :

Unconfirmed information of sighting of a black leopard at Pench Tiger Reserve has kept the park authorities on toes to find the evidence of this rare specie. Spotting of Melanistic leopard, popular by the name of black panther, was reported by a tourist but the park administration is yet to confirm the same due to absence of any evidence in the park area. Chief Wildlife Warden and PCCF of Madhya Pradesh, Alok Kumar (IFS), while talking to ‘The Hitavada’, informed that the Forest Department received the information of spotting black leopard in buffer area of Pench Tiger Reserve.

“It is really good news for the Forest Department, if any such species exists in the park area, but it needs some evidence to confirm the information,” he added. Taking positive side of the information, separate teams of forest guards are patrolling in the park area. The department is also ensuring optimum utilization of CCTV camera traps to find any clue of said specie. Field Director of Pench Tiger Reserve, Vikram Singh Parihar informed that they are conducting a rigorous search to confirm the information of black leopard but existence of any such specie could be ascertained after finding evidence.

It is not first time in the country when claim of spotting black leopard has been made but none of the State Forest Departments have confirmed the same till date. Even the State Forest Departments have first time conducted leopards census throughout the country and its report is awaited but no evidence of black leopard in any of the state was found in the country. Pench Tiger Reserve is also known for Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book and information of sighting black leopard is being rapidly spread memorizing its character named Bagheera, a black panther.