WHY IN NEWS?
Recently, a rare Melanistic Leopard (commonly known as Black Panther) has been recorded in Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) of Maharashtra.
About:
- Leopards (Panthera Pardus)are either light colored (pale yellow to deep gold or tawny) with black rosettes or with black fur.
- The melanistic leopards, which are either all-black or very dark in coloration, are known as black panthers. It is a color variant of spotted Indian leopards, reported from densely forested areas of south India
Habitat:
- They are mainly in Southwestern China, Burma, Nepal, Southern India, Indonesia, and the southern part of Malaysia.
- In India they can be spotted in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra etc.
Threats:
- Habitat loss.
- Collision with vehicles.
- Human encroachment.
Protection Status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
- CITES: Appendix I.
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I