Two melanistic or black leopards have been recently spotted in the forests of Kurseong, marking a rare and historic wildlife sighting.
Devesh Pandey, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Kurseong forest division, said the sighting was unprecedented not only for Kurseong but possibly for the entire country.
“The pair of melanistic leopards were captured on trap cameras installed inside the forest areas of Kurseong recently. This is the first time in the history of Kurseong forest division that a pair of black leopards has been recorded. Perhaps, this is also the first instance in India where a pair of such melanistic leopards has been sighted together in the wild,” the DFO said on Sunday.
Kurseong, a small hill town located some 45km from Siliguri, is known for its dense forest cover, especially large pine trees. It is also famed for its rhododendrons and white orchids.
A single melanistic leopard had earlier been sighted in the Bagora area of the Kurseong forest division in January last year. While forest officials declined to disclose the exact location of the latest sighting, Pandey confirmed that the camera footage was recorded somewhere in the Bagora forest range. Previously, residents of St Mary’s and Giddey Pahar areas on the outskirts of Kurseong had also reported sightings of a black leopard.
According to forest officials, melanistic leopards are classified as vulnerable in the red data book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide. These elusive animals are primarily found in the forests of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh and have also been recorded in the upper reaches of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills.
The area where the duo were sighted lies at an elevation of around 6,000 feet above sea level. On January 7 this year, the DFO also reported spotting a black deer in Kurseong. Earlier, sightings of a black civet and melanistic tarantulas were recorded within the forest division.
“The presence of several melanistic (black) animals and insects in such a small forested area is significant. It is possible that they developed rare adaptive traits and this needs detailed research. We have started awareness drives among residents on wildlife conservation and are planning to expand digital surveillance in more forest areas,” the DFO said.