An ultra-rare “Sandalwood Leopard” has been sighted and documented in the Vijayanagara district of Karnataka. The sighting was confirmed by conservation scientists using camera traps , The first-ever official documentation of this specific color morph in the state of Karnataka. Only the second confirmed record of this rare coloration in all of India , the first was in Rajasthan in 2021..
The name “Sandalwood Leopard” was coined by local conservationists to give the morph a native identity, inspired by its unique coat color which resembles the pale reddish-pink hue of sandalwood.
Key facts about this rare animal:
- It has a pale reddish-pink coat with light-brown rosettes, a significant departure from the typical tawny coat with black rosettes seen in most leopards.
- The unusual coloration is believed to be a genetic condition, potentially hypomelanism or erythrism, involving either an excess of red pigmentation or a deficiency of dark pigmentation.
- Internationally, leopards with this specific morph are referred to as “Strawberry Leopards”.
- This color morph is exceptionally rare globally, with only a handful of documented cases worldwide, including in South Africa and Tanzania. visit here
- The female leopard estimated to be around six to seven years old, was captured on camera during ongoing research by the Holematthi Nature Foundation (HNF) to study leopard diversity.
This finding has drawn significant national and global attention to the genetic diversity of Karnataka’s wildlife , for more verified Environment news love to visit your favorite website www.eminentnews.com
