In Laikipia, Kenya, an elusive black leopard prowled confidently under the soft beam of the full moon. This bright-eyed ‘black panther’ was captured in Africa for the first time in over a century by Will Burrard-Lucas, a wildlife photographer. He explained that he spent about a year waiting eagerly for this lifelong dream of getting proper images of the black leopard.
The black leopard is a colour variant of the regular leopard. Its black skin is a result of excess dark pigmentation that changes the golden-brown skin to black, a condition known as melanism.
Prior to this, there had been only one confirmed sighting of black leopards in Africa (In Ethiopia). However, there have been a number of unconfirmed sightings in Kenya and South Africa, but there were no proper pictures to confirm these stories.
The images from Burrard-Lucas’ expedition confirm the existence of the black leopard in Laikipia County, Kenya.
A rare video and more pictures of the African black leopard from Will Burrard-Lucas expedition will fascinate you.
Kenya is home to a range of amazing wildlife species that are the centre of its thriving tourism industry. The leopard is among the famous ‘Big Five’ animals found in Kenya, along with the lion, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros.
Most of Kenya’s wildlife species can be found in national parks and reserves that offer a blend nature’s diversity and the warmth of African hospitality.