BENGALURU: Recent camera traps reveal a rise in the population of the elusive black panthers in Dandeli and Anshi forest regions of Uttara Kannada district. The last camera trap survey done in 2015 in the forest ranges of Kulgi, Phansoli, Gund and Anshi had shown a ‘good number’ of black panthers out of the total leopard captures in these areas. In fact, 14 per cent were found to be black panthers.
With the evergreen rich forest habitat supporting their survival, panthers can be seen on the outskirts of villages, forest fringes as well as on roads and highways criss-crossing this forest district. Karwar DCF told The New Indian Express, “Camera traps with night vision facility have revealed a healthy, rising population of black panthers in these regions which have pristine continuous patches of forests. With less human interference and a human population of 30-40,000, leopards, including black panthers, are flourishing in these regions.”
The DCF added, “Our night vision camera trappings have also revealed black panthers and leopards sharing a meal. Regular traps show the black panthers roaming in many areas as forests in this district stretch up to the sea and therefore support many wild species. We have so many black panthers in the Karwar area that now they are commonly sighted.
They may sometimes enter villages but can easily escape to the forest, as a result the conflict situation here is minimal.”The terrain and habitat is supportive for the survival of the melanistic leopards, said wildlife activist Giridhar Kulkarni.
Black Panthers
Also called melanistic leopards, black panthers are elusive. Melanism factor is found in animals abounding in denser and humid forests as compared to dry forests. It provides an additional advantage of being camouflaged with the darker environment. In fact, melanism is the development of a dark coloured pigment called ‘melanin’ in the skin or appendages.