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turbinetree

(24,710 posts)
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 03:32 PM Feb 2019

Rare African black leopard captured by camera trap's extraordinary photos

Images were taken by British wildlife photographer, Will Burrard-Lucas, in Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya

The wild African black leopard has been the stuff of legend and campfire story for decades.

The animal – whose coat is sooty black as a result of melanism, the opposite of albinism – is extremely rare.

But a British wildlife photographer has taken the first professional camera trap photos of a wild black leopard in Africa.

Will Burrard-Lucas captured the images, which were released to the public on Monday, at the Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya after hearing reports of sightings in the area.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/13/first-photograph-of-rare-african-black-leopard-captured-in-more-than-a-century

Now you can only hope that nobody decides to kill it and stand next to it.........................

28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Rare African black leopard captured by camera trap's extraordinary photos (Original Post) turbinetree Feb 2019 OP
Saw some video this A.M. Beautiful. nt Guy Whitey Corngood Feb 2019 #1
Gorgeous! Imagine seeing those eyes shine back at you in the dark... hlthe2b Feb 2019 #2
I just did and it scared the crap out of me! lunatica Feb 2019 #5
leopard attacks are very rare in Africa. cab67 Feb 2019 #17
Maybe it's that they're nocturnal predators lunatica Feb 2019 #20
Population density? That's my guess. GulfCoast66 Feb 2019 #23
It's a good possibility. cab67 Feb 2019 #27
Black Kitty! jpak Feb 2019 #3
What a beautiful creature: demmiblue Feb 2019 #4
Those eyes IronLionZion Feb 2019 #14
This cat or one that looks ronatchig Feb 2019 #19
Melanistic jaguars have been spotted in the US IronLionZion Feb 2019 #22
Totally different species. GulfCoast66 Feb 2019 #24
Stunning.... n/t 912gdm Feb 2019 #6
Majestic... FirstLight Feb 2019 #7
Yet! Scarsdale Feb 2019 #9
Oh, my! What a beauty cat! Nt Grammy23 Feb 2019 #8
Now some white man will want a trophy malaise Feb 2019 #10
Oh please god no (warning- graphic content) DirtEdonE Feb 2019 #11
Those two malaise Feb 2019 #12
As a hunter that pisses me off more than you can imagine! GulfCoast66 Feb 2019 #25
What a beauty! I just love black cats! lilactime Feb 2019 #13
What a beautiful cat! FuzzyRabbit Feb 2019 #15
WOW, those eyes... catbyte Feb 2019 #16
Great! Now some gun loving trophy hunter will hunt this beautiful creature down and kill it. Fla Dem Feb 2019 #18
Those kind of hunters don't need stories like this lunatica Feb 2019 #21
Sadly, this was my first thought too. bitterross Feb 2019 #26
WUNNNNNNNNNNNNderful! calimary Feb 2019 #28

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
5. I just did and it scared the crap out of me!
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 03:43 PM
Feb 2019

It would be the last thing you see, and you would know it.

cab67

(2,999 posts)
17. leopard attacks are very rare in Africa.
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 05:15 PM
Feb 2019

For some reason, they're more frequent in Asia. I don't think anyone knows why.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
20. Maybe it's that they're nocturnal predators
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 08:07 PM
Feb 2019

Plus Africa has millions of square miles of wild country, whereas places like India and the East Asian countries are pretty heavily populated and the wildlife can’t get away from people very easily.

GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
23. Population density? That's my guess.
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 10:43 PM
Feb 2019

We are definitely on their menu. We evolved together and I suspect they were a major killer of our distant ancestors. We forget. They don’t. Rhetorical speaking. Big hairless monkey with no fangs or claws...but fire! And tools(weapons).

IronLionZion

(45,503 posts)
14. Those eyes
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 04:55 PM
Feb 2019

are looking at the camera as if to say "don't even think about hunting me, I'll rip your face off".

ronatchig

(575 posts)
19. This cat or one that looks
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 07:19 PM
Feb 2019

very similar has been sporadically reported from Florida northward into the Appalachian ranges for decades. It is called a panther by many. The n.American variety is as reclusive if not more secretive.

GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
24. Totally different species.
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 10:49 PM
Feb 2019

A Leopard would eat a panther for lunch. They evolved to eat larger and stronger game. Panthers were minor predators when they evolved compared to the mega-fauna that existed at the time.

The mega-fauna still exist in Africa.

That said, as a Floridian I dream of seeing a panther. I once found a whitetail that had been killled and partially eaten by a panther. Very fresh. Believe me, standing there alone in the woods with no weapon was a spooky feeling. I knew panthers regularly returned to their kill to feed.

I beat the hell out there making lots of noise!

FirstLight

(13,362 posts)
7. Majestic...
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 03:47 PM
Feb 2019

It amazes me how there are still mysterious animals and places on Earth where humans haven't fucked things up...

Fla Dem

(23,727 posts)
18. Great! Now some gun loving trophy hunter will hunt this beautiful creature down and kill it.
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 05:20 PM
Feb 2019

Better left undiscovered. Sorry, if I'm a downer, I just know it'll happen.

On Edit: Just saw Malaise's post. Glad I wasn’t alone in my thoughts.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
21. Those kind of hunters don't need stories like this
Wed Feb 13, 2019, 08:11 PM
Feb 2019

nor do they rely on them. They already know who will break the law to take them hunting and to drug the wildlife for their convenience.

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