Black leopard spotted in Maharashtra's Bhandara forest

NAGPUR: A black leopard was sighted in Bhandara forest division on Monday, marking a significant development in the region's wildlife dynamics. Generally, the leopard maintains a nocturnal lifestyle, typically active during dawn and dusk, but the animal was sighted during the day by Lendezari PHC staff who were travelling in an ambulance.The employees had sufficient time to capture a video of the leopard relaxing in the roadside forest between Lohara-Lendezari Road. The way the black cat reacted suggests it may have migrated into the Lendezari forest from some tourism zone. Black leopards and melanistic leopards are the same. The term melanistic refers to the condition that causes a leopard to have a black coat due to excess of melanin in the skin. Earlier, the presence of the black leopard in the region was reported from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) only.Talking to TOI, Bhandara deputy conservator (DyCF) Rahul Gavai said, "We are aware of the leopard's presence. It was last captured by camera traps on February 14. We did not indulge in publicity owing to the safety of the animal. We will intensify patrolling and monitoring in the area as the video grab may have gone viral on social media."Shahid Khan, president of wildlife NGO Save Ecosystem and Tiger (SEAT), Bhandara, said the leopard has been covering almost 100sqkm of three overlapping ranges of Lendezari, Nakadondri, and Jamkandri without entering into conflict. "There was no presence of black leopards in Bhandara forest division in the past. We suspect this animal may have entered the area from Khawasa through the Pench-Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve corridor," said Khan.In 2021-22, a joint survey by the forest department and SEAT under the IUCN project recorded nine tigers and four leopards in the area, but the black leopard was not there. "We suspect the animal may have migrated from MP Pench as the aerial distance from where this leopard was being sighted earlier is 25-30km. In the Navegaon National Park, there was a record of one black leopard, but the distance where the leopard was sighted is 70km as a crow flies from Navegaon," said Khan."This black leopard was also sighted by some farmers and graziers intermittently in the Lendezari area, but there was no record. Due to a good prey base, habitat, and availability of water, the animal seems to have made the area its home," Khan said."The successful establishment of the black leopard in Bhandara forest division demonstrates the importance of maintaining forest corridors and protecting wildlife habitats. This natural phenomenon has brought attention to the need for continued conservation efforts in the region's forest areas. The presence of this leopard in Bhandara adds to the biodiversity value of the area," said Sawan Bahekar of Save Environment and Wildlife Assemblage (SAVE).DyCF Gavai said, "We will work on conducting a detailed survey in the division about the presence of tigers and leopards and initiate monitoring protocols to track the wildlife movement patterns and ensure its safety."Bhandara honorary warden Nadeem Khan emphasised the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the corridor connecting Pench-NNTR as it serves as a vital link for wildlife. "Officials should increase patrolling to prevent potential man-wildlife conflict and protect the rare melanistic leopard from poaching threats," said Khan.