Maharashtra: Students on study tour spot ‘Bageera’ in Western Ghats

Students of D G Ruparel College spotted the elusive black panther

A team of Mumbai-based college students on a study tour of the Amboli forest in the Western Ghats spotted a black leopard on a full moon night - a testament to the rich biodiversity of the region.

Rohan Korgaonkar from GreenLeaf Wildlife Tours told mid-day that D G Ruparel College's Department of Zoology conducted its annual study tour of Amboli from February 21 to February 24. Nitin Wasnik - head of the department - with faculty members Sagar Gavas and Rucha Sathe and 44 students from SYBSc and TYBSc took part in the excursion that was facilitated by GreenLeaf.

The excursion included morning treks and night trails to acquaint the students with the ecology, habitat and wildlife of Amboli, nestled in the Western Ghats.
Korgaonkar said, "During one such night trail on the full moon night of February 23, an unexpected and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity occurred with the spotting of the elusive black panther. This confirmed earlier reports of a black panther being present in Amboli."

The sighting in this area has surprised many. While it is said that this is arguably the first sighting of a melanistic feline in the area, there have been sightings of black panthers in the Konkan belt a few times.

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 back 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 and are black due to the presence of excess melanin in their bodies. The colour of their fur is a mixture of blue, black, grey, and purple.