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Rare Video Shows Black Panther and Leopard Drinking Side by Side at Karnataka’s Bhadra Tiger Reserve

The viral Instagram post refocuses attention on melanism in Indian leopards.

Overview

  • The clip, filmed at the Bhadra backwaters, shows a melanistic leopard and a normally coloured leopard calmly sharing a water source, an uncommon behavior for typically solitary animals.
  • Hindustan Times and India Today credit wildlife photographer Sohan Singh, who posted the video on Instagram on February 11, where it drew about 10.5 million views and roughly 780,000 likes.
  • Free Press Journal attributed the images to photographer Arvind Karthik, leaving the content’s authorship unresolved across outlets.
  • Bhadra Tiger Reserve lies in Karnataka’s Western Ghats, spanning parts of Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts, according to information cited from the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
  • A black panther is a melanistic Indian leopard, a genetic variation that darkens the coat while rosette patterns can remain faintly visible under certain light.