18-07-2025
Rare black panther spotted with leopard pals in Nilgiris sparks ‘Jungle Book' nostalgia online: ‘Bagheera is looking for Sher Khan'
In a magical moment captured in Nilgiris, a black panther was spotted strolling with two leopards, stunning wildlife lovers and evoking Jungle Book memories. Shared by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan, the video drew emotional reactions online, with users quipping, 'They're looking for Sher Khan!' Experts stress that such rare sightings underline the urgency of leopard conservation.
A rare video from Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris has gone viral, showing a black panther—often likened to Bagheera from The Jungle Book—walking alongside two spotted leopards. Shared by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan, the sighting left netizens amazed, sparking nostalgia and wonder. (Screenshots: X/ @ParveenKaswan )
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A Scene Rarer Than Fiction
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'They're Looking for Sher Khan!'
The Panther's Perilous Path
In the shadowed forests of the Nilgiris, a scene straight out of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book came alive—leaving wildlife lovers spellbound and the internet abuzz with emotion and awe. A majestic black panther, reminiscent of the beloved Bagheera, was caught on camera taking a moonlit stroll alongside two spotted leopards , evoking both wonder and 29-second clip was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan, who aptly captioned it, 'Bagheera and other friends for a night walk on the roads of Nilgiris. What a rare thing.' Within hours, the video began doing the rounds on social media, drawing parallels with the animated world of Mowgli and his jungle the wild, leopards are solitary by nature. Catching even one on camera is often a matter of luck, patience, and persistence. But this brief sighting—showing not one, but three leopards walking together, one of them melanistic—is a wildlife black panther, known scientifically as a melanistic leopard , is not a separate species but a genetic variation of the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca). As IFS officer Kaswan explained in a follow-up post, 'These animals appear black due to a genetic condition called melanism, which results in excess dark pigmentation. Despite their dark coats, their characteristic leopard rosettes are often visible under certain lighting conditions.'What makes this particular video stand out is the rare documentation of a melanistic leopard moving in sync with two regular-patterned leopards. Such visual harmony among these elusive cats in the same frame, and in the open, is almost unheard many netizens, the video was more than just a wildlife moment—it stirred up memories from childhood. One user commented, 'I remember Baghira from Mowgli. Such a cute character.' Another wrote with a mix of humour and imagination, 'They are looking for Sher Khan.' Others were in awe of the animal's natural grace, calling it the 'ultimate nocturnal predator.'In a digital world often saturated with chaos, this fleeting glimpse into the tranquil, untamed wild offered a moment of pure connection—between nature, memory, and the internet marvelled, Kaswan didn't let the moment pass without a reminder of the growing threats to these magnificent creatures. 'Conservation efforts are vital for their survival,' he noted. 'They face threats like habitat loss and poaching.'The Indian leopard, agile and fiercely adaptable, has often been a silent survivor amidst urban expansion and shrinking forests. Capable of leaping over 6 meters, running at speeds over 58 km/h, and even swimming when necessary, it is the smallest of the four 'big cats' under the Panthera genus—yet arguably the most with viral moments like this one, the silent grace of these animals may no longer remain unseen. Perhaps, like Kipling's stories, this moment too can inspire a deeper sense of wonder and responsibility toward our shared wild heritage.
