Chhattisgarh : Rare black panther sighted in Achanakmar tiger reserve

Raipur, a rare black panther has been sighted in the Achanakmar tiger reserve (ATR) in Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh. The melanistic leopard has been spotted in the core area of the ATR, a forest officer said. “The presence of the black panther in ATR was confirmed during the tiger census in 2022”, ATR deputy director U R Rao told this newspaper on Tuesday. The presence of the black panther was not only confirmed in the camera-trap method but also in the normal efforts, he added. A forest officer said that the frequency of appearance of black panther has of late increased, raising the possibility of presence of more than one melanistic leopard in the ATR. “We also hear that there may be more than one black panther in the ATR. But, an in-depth scientific study can alone confirm this”, Mr Rao said. Meanwhile, in a major development, the fourth phase of survey for the tiger count in the ATR has indicated the presence of ten tigers in the reserve forest. Of them seven are females and three are males, according to Mr Rao. The last tiger census held in 2022 confirmed the presence of only five tigers in the ATR. The conservation and protection strategy adopted by the ATR has led to the increase in tiger population in the reserve forest, the forest officer said.