A super rare and beautiful black leopard was spotted by an engineering student during a safari trip in an Indian nature reserve.
The majestic big cat was spotted drinking from a pond and stalking its prey at Radoba Reserve last month.
The encounter has been described as ‘unique’ and ‘like finding a needle in a haystack’.
The animal’s unique dark coat is caused by melanism, the opposite of albinism which is when extra black pigments develop in the skin or hair because of a recessive genetic mutation.
It is thought that melanism provides additional camouflage in these habitats which gives the predators an advantage when it comes to hunting.
There are only 2,000 black leopards in the wild with most found in Southeast Asia where tropical forests offer an abundance of shade.