A motion-sensor camera in southern India has captured rare nighttime footage of a fabled black panther lurking on the patio of a residence at night.
“Look who is silently entering into a home near Coonoor, Nilgiris,” Kishore Chandran described Thursday via X.
Coonoor is known for its sprawling tea plantations in the Nilgiri Hills.
The term black panther typically refers to a melanistic (all-black) leopard. The animal in the footage appears to be crossing in front of the home’s main door.
Look who is silently entering into a home near Coonoor, Nilgiris. pic.twitter.com/uxtmhVCSBp
— Kishore Chandran🇮🇳 (@tweetKishorec) February 16, 2024
Susanta Nanda of the Indian Forest Service shared Chandran’s post under the heading, “Ghost of the forest comes looking…”
In 2022, BBC Earth elaborated on the stealthy creatures: “Black panthers (Panthera pardus) are sometimes referred to as ‘the ghost of the forest’ because their dark fur allows for stealthy attacks in the dead of night.”
(Panthera pardus is the scientific name for a leopard.)
Chandran’s post inspired plenty of commentary.
One of the more popular comments:
“Enthusiasts spend a lifetime combing jungles to get a glimpse of the Black Panther! And here he is… roaming casually at this guy’s house… insane!”
Another observation: “At night, this would look more dangerous than a tiger.”
There were also references to the fictional “Jungle Book” character Bagheera, friend and protector of the ‘man-cub’ Mowgli.
The black panther in Chandran’s post appears to be traveling solo, looking out primarily for No. 1.
