Rare black panther photographed in the African wilderness

A photographer has captured an image of the elusive black panther in Laikipia, Kenya.

The two-year-old female panther, dubbed “Giza” by trackers, was first spotted around the Ewaso Narok river over 18 months ago by excited locals.

Photographed at close range, this marks the first time the black panther — also known as a melanistic leopard — was snapped without camera traps in Africa.

“Getting the opportunity to track and photograph a black leopard at close range alone in the wilds of Laikipia, was both an incredible thrill and an extraordinary privilege,” photographer Chris Brunskill gushed.

According to research published in the African Journal of Ecology, only 11% of panthers have this specific coloring and sightings are rare.

Giza, however, is used to people and has become more comfortable with having people and vehicles around her.

The rare black panther was one of two cubs born to the more commonly colored and regularly seen spotted leopard.

The rare, all-black coloring is due to an excess of melanin — which is the opposite of albinism and only occurs in animals, not humans — and causes a darker skin pigment.

Led by ranger Joseph Mugambi, Brunskill and his team observed the giant cat in its natural habitat in an attempt to document and understand more of the cat’s movements.

The team repeatedly watched her cross the river at sunset to begin hunting in the area around the Laikipia Wilderness Camp before she returned triumphantly carrying her prey.

Brunskill frequently documents Giza’s daily activities on Instagram to his 23,000 followers, who are stunned by the incredible creature.

“I know it is real….. but it doesn’t look real,” one commented. “Looks like a movie set!!”

“I love that magic cat,” added another.

“Seems happy to be your model,” chimed in a third.

It’s not the first time the rare cat has been spotted; A similar sleek animal was snapped in India’s Tadoba National Park by photographer Anurag Gawande in 2021.

A black panther was last captured in 2019 by wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, who spent six months trying to capture the melanistic cat in Kenya, eventually photographing it using camera traps.