The elusive black leopard has been photographed in its natural environment in Kenya, the first time such high-quality up-close images have been taken of the species in Africa.
The pictures have been making headlines around the world. Leopards are secretive and are not spotted a lot by humans anyway, while only a small percentage of them are a sleek black colour.
Black leopards are more common in places like Java and China but although they’ve been sighted before in Africa, they have never been captured in such high-quality images. The images are so clear, it’s possible to see the rosette pattern on their fur, leading scientists from San Diego Zoo to call these photos the first photographic evidence of the animals on the continent.
Photographer Will Burrard-Lucas decided to travel to Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya after confirming there had been several sightings of the rare animal over the years. But he said, “the biggest challenge in this project was knowing where to put my camera traps.” He got plenty of information from locals who shared information about the leopard’s habits and territory.
After they found leopard tracks and a path the animals appeared to be using, Will set up camera traps from Camtraptions along the route and, after several nights with no success, was eventually rewarded with some striking images.
With more knowledge of the leopard’s movements, he moved the cameras accordingly. As well as seeing spotted leopards and of hyenas in the area, he was rewarded with more stunning photos of the elusive black leopard.
Responding to concern that the leopard could now be a target for trophy hunters, Will clarified on his blog that such a practice is illegal in Kenya and he hopes instead that more tourism to the area can bring in critical revenue to help conservation efforts.
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