Rare Black Panther Spotted Near Famous Pratapgad Fort in Mahabaleshwar, Video Goes Viral

Panchgani, September 22: Much to the excitement of wildlife lovers, a black panther was spotted in Mahabaleshwar, the famous tourist attraction in Maharashtra on September 17. Experts believe that this is perhaps the first such sighting in the area. According to a report by Mid-Day, the black panther was seen near the famous Pratapgad fort. The incident came to light after a video of the big cat went viral on social media platforms.

A forest official was quoted in the report saying that two herders from Kumthe village had taken their cattle to the foothills of Pratapgad for grazing. While the cattle was busy in their business, the duo, named Ravindra Jadhav and Subhash Jadhav, spotted a black leopard. Excited after seeing the bih cat, they recorded a video of the melanistic leopard, commonly called black panthers or black leopards. Rarely-Seen Black Panther Spotted on Camera Trapping for First Time at M M Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, Stunning Sighting Goes Viral.

Watch the Viral Video: Black Panther Spotted in Mahabaleshwar

In the viral video of the leopard, which lasts for about a minute, the full-grown black panther can be seen walking around the grassy land near the fort area. However, after hearing the voice of the cattle herders, the panther disappears into the bushes.

A similar incident had surfaced in 2018 where a black panther was spotted by tourists in Maharashtra. The big cat was seen at the Shivanjhari area of the Kolsa range in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in the Chandrapur district. Prior to this,  a full-grown black leopard was rescued from a 40-foot deep well by forest officials and villagers of Oni in Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district in December 2013.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 22, 2021 10:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).