by Maddie Robin Image from 190212232845-rare-black-leopard-exlarge-169.jpg
After months of waiting patiently, a team of biologists in Kenya got rare footage and images of the black leopard. While black leopards have been sighted throughout Africa in the past, this is the first time that high-quality imagery confirms it. The last sighting captured in photo of the black leopard was in Ethiopia in 1909, and that photo now sits in the Museum of Natural History in the United States. The team of biologists, led by Nick Pilfold, managed to capture a slew of photos and video footage of the elusive animal in the dark, all looking like something straight out of a movie. Capturing these photos and videos took months of preparation and waiting patiently. Pilfold and his team first placed remote cameras to track the leopard population near a conservation area in Laikipia County last year after hearing about a possible black leopard sighting. After months of waiting, they finally got the images they had been waiting for. These leopards pitch black coats are a result of melanism, a mutation in the genes that causes an overproduction of pigment. And although 11% of leopards globally have melanism, the majority of these leopards live in South-East Asia, making these images captured in Africa all the more rare. The photographer, Will Burrard-Lucas, shot these images using a Contraptions Camera, which focuses on nature and wildlife footage. The cameras were placed near animal trails and water, like pools and springs. They were left on for 24 hours in most places. Burrard-Lucas says that it has been his dream to photograph this leopard in particular. “For many years, they remained the stuff of dreams and of far fetched stories told around the campfire at night,” he wrote on his blog. “Nobody I knew had ever seen one in the wild and I never thought that I would either.” However, leopards are described as being critically endangered on the International Union of Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. While the total population decline of their species unknown, considering how elusive and rare they are, scientist do know that several things such as hunting, habitat loss, and conflict with farmers has already dropped their numbers significantly. That’s why, with these photos, come the cries from people that although it is great that we now have footage of the beautiful animal, to leave it alone. Hopefully, biologists and locals heed these calls and leave these endangered animals alone. Maybe next time images like these are captured, there will be more of them to see.
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