Mirik (West Bengal): A black panther also known as melanistic leopard was allegedly spotted crossing the mountainous road at Mirik in Darjeeling district of West Bengal early on Wednesday morning. A motorist captured the rare sighting on his mobile phone while he was driving through the area, sources said.
The rare video footage of the black panther in the hilly region of Mirik has gone viral. The driver of the vehicle video-recorded the movement of black leopard when the big cat was crossing the road near Okaiti tea plantation in Mirik. The video footage of black panther has become an instant hit among social media enthusiasts.
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Previously also, in 2020, a black leopard was spotted in Mirik region. The wild beast was spotted in Buxa forest and Jayanthi areas this year also.
Kurseong Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Biswanath Pratap said, "The leopard carries black colour due to a certain type of genes. We are tracking down the movement of the wild beast."
Basically, there are a sizable number of leopards in the Darjeeling Hills and Dooars area and their numbers have almost doubled in the past few years.
Thick tea plantations in these areas are conducive for the beasts to roam around without being noticed. Compared to other places, the sighting of black leopards is rare in Mirik area of Darjeeling due to tea plantation groves. This year, a black leopard while crossing the road was hit by a car and killed in Rangtong area near Mirik.
