Details have revealed that in late 2018, an extremely rare black leopard was spotted at the Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia, Central Kenya by Kenyan-based biologist Nick Pilfold and his team.
The leopard has a condition called “melanism” where the body produces an excessive pigment.
The last sighting of such a melanistic creature was back in 1909 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. According to researchers, black leopards more prevalent in Kenya than in other African countries. In fact, when Pilford made the discovery, workers at the Ol Al Nyiro Conservancy brought him another photo of a different black leopard that was spotted in 2007.
Mr Pilfold also noted that when he found the leopard, it was walking alongside its mother, which shows that its rare colour hasn’t affected its bond with fellow cats.
Here are the photos and video below courtesy of National Geographic.
