Stunning photos have emerged of a black leopard lurking in the jungle. This almost mythical creature was captured by the British wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas. The 25-year-old was prowling around Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya at night when he came across the rare creature.
This is the first time one has been caught on camera in Africa in the last 100 years.
Slinking through the darkness, these stunning images show an ultra-rare black leopard in action. The mythical creature was captured by British wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, 35, while it was prowling around Laikipia in Kenya in the dead of night
The scene is spectacular, it is visibly prowling, eagerly looking for prey. Its leopard-like spots can be vaguely seen on its sooty coat.
Burrard-Lucas says it been a childhood dream come true to be able to film the black leopard. He learned that several cats with a similar description had been spotted in Laikipia area of Kenya. This is the only place thought to have surviving black leopards in the whole of Africa. He set up his expedition in January to investigate further.
Its wide eyes can be seen looking eagerly for prey, while leopard-like spots can vaguely be seen on its dark coat, which is the result of melanism
Lucas collaborated with Biologists from Sandiego in the area to set up camera traps in a well-protected area where the black leopard had been rumored to frequent.
After assembling his tech- a wireless motion sensor, high-quality cameras, and two flashes, he went back to his lodge only to return and one day to find; in one of his traps, a black leopard was staring back a the camera lens
Burrard-Lucas told MailOnline Travel that it had been his dream to photograph the black leopard since childhood
In a video documentary of his work, the Briton explains; ‘As far as I know none of these leopards have never been photographed properly in Africa before... So I’ve left the cameras for a few days and now I’m heading back to see if I’ve got anything.’
Working in collaboration with biologists in the area, Burrard-Lucas went about installing camera traps. These were placed in areas the black leopard was rumoured to frequent
While checking his equipment, the photographer continues: ‘Scrub hare, mongoose… we have something. All I can see is eyes but this is a black leopard emerging from the darkness. Look at this!
‘I can’t believe it really. I think when I started this project I didn’t actually think I was going to be able to achieve a shot of a black leopard in Africa but that it is exactly what is here on the back of my camera. Just the most stunning, spectacular creature I think I’ve ever photographed!’
Nicholas Pilfold PhD, a biologist with San Diego Zoo Global who is currently researching leopards at the Loisaba Conservancy and helped Burrard-Lucas with his photography project, confirmed that the recent on-camera sighting was extremely rare
Lucas had the help of Nicholas Pipfold Ph.D., a biologist with San Diego Zoo Global who was also researching about elephants in Laikipia’s Loisaba conservancy.He explained: 'We had always heard about black leopard living in this region, but the stories were absent of high-quality footage that could confirm their existence.
Summing up the black leopard in three words, Burrard-Lucas said: 'They are truly stunning, beautiful and elusive'
'This is what Will's photos and the videos on our remote cameras now prove, and are exceptionally rare in their detail and insight.
'Collectively these are the first confirmed images in nearly 100 years of black leopard in Africa, and this region is the only known spot in all of Africa to have black leopard.'
This is a grab from a video of the black leopard captured by Nicholas Pilfold PhD, who works for San Diego Zoo
The last time a black leopard was photographed in Africa was in 1909 in Ethiopia. The image is stored at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.
Black leopards are thought to naturally inhabit dense forests where their dark coloration is thought to help them hide in the shadows.Most recorded sightings of leopards have therefore been in the forests of Asia
Dr Pilfold said: 'We had always heard about black leopard living in this region, but the stories were absent of high quality footage that could confirm their existence.' This grab from San Diego Zoo's video shows the black leopard clambering over rocks. The video footage was shot over a period of a year
Dr. Pilford said: 'Melanism occurs in about 11 percent of leopards globally. However, despite African leopards having the largest remaining range out of any of the subspecies, there has only been one confirmed case of melanism prior to these images.
'In addition to confirming black panthers in Africa, our observations are unique because Laikipia is semi-arid shrubland, and previous melanistic observations come from more shaded habitats in tropical forests, which is in keeping with the understanding that melanism is an adaptation to camouflage against dark backgrounds.
Burrard-Lucas used specialist equipment including wireless motion sensors, high-quality DSLR cameras and two to three flashes
'We hope our future research will cast a light on why these black panthers occur here, just how many there are and how being melanistic in an unshaded environment affects their hunting strategies.
'He continued: 'Melanism is a recessive trait in leopards, so both parents have to be carrying the gene in order for it to be expressed.'
Genetic research indicates melanism comes from a mutation in a gene that causes a loss of the normal function and coloration. However, although they appear solid black during the day, black panthers still
The moment that Burrard-Lucas realises he's photographed the very elusive black leopard on his camera trap
The big cat captured was confirmed as a juvenile female, traveling with a larger normally colored leopard, thought to be its parent. The black leopard has also been referred to as a black panther because this is an umbrella term that simply refers to any big cat that has a black coat.
Summing up the black leopard in three words, Burrard-Lucas, pictured with his camera trap, said: 'They are truly stunning, beautiful and elusive'
African leopards are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The extent of its population decline is uncertain although a host of factors is known to contribute.
Addressing this issue, Burrard-Lucas added: 'People have raised the valid concern that the leopard may now be a target for trophy hunters. Fortunately, trophy hunting is illegal in Kenya. My take is that the benefits of promoting tourism far out way the risks and hence I have stated the location. Tourism brings critical revenue to these places and is often the only source of funding for conservation efforts.'
