Amid the social media frenzy, a forest range officer in Karnatakas Nagarhole Tiger Reserve also spotted a black panther on Monday
This picture has been used for representational purposes. Picture/AFP
Pictures of a rare black panther have taken social media by storm. The photos of the big cat was captured in Kabini in Mysuru and were shared on a Twitter page called ‘Earth’.
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A black panther roaming in the jungles of Kabini, India. pic.twitter.com/UT8zodvv0m
— Earth (@earth) July 4, 2020
A forest range officer in Karnataka’s Nagarhole Tiger Reserve also spotted a black panther on Monday. The big cat seemed to be four to five years old but gender could not be determined. It was spotted on a large moss-laden tree branch by the forest range officer.
However, it is not clear if the big cat spotted in the viral pictures and the one spotted by the forest range officer is the same. "I am not sure of the photographs of the black panther in the viral social media posts and the one spotted on Monday are one and the same," deputy conservator of forests, D. Mahesh Kumar, told IANS.
The official also confirmed that the viral pictures were captured by one Shaaz Jung, who often visits the tiger reserve.
However, the viral pictures of the black panther have thrown Twitter into a frenzy. Users likened the animal to Bagheera, a character from The Jungle Book. In the fictional tale by Rudyard Kipling, Bagheera, a black panther, is the one who brings Mowgli, the protagonist, into the jungle as an infant and trains him as he grows up in the forest. The tale has also been adapted into films and animated series.
Here’s how the Twitterati reacted to pictures:
Only in the real India could Bagheera come alive like he did in the Jungle Book!
— Patrick Brauckmann (@vonbrauckmann) July 5, 2020
Just amazing. https://t.co/mbnbHKK5Xk
Bagheera is that you?
— . (@karthik_jammy) July 5, 2020
These are straight out of jungle book.. Unreal pictures.. Hats off to the photographer..ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u008f¼ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u008f¼ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u008f¼ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u008f¼ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u008f¼ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0091ÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u008f¼
— Sumeet (@sumrag) July 5, 2020
Aila, Humara Bhageera âÂÂÂu00c2u009d¤ï¸ÂÂÂu00c2u008fðÂÂÂu00c2u009f¤ÂÂÂu00c2u0093
— Piyu ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0091©âÂÂÂu00c2u009aÂÂÂu00c2u0095ï¸ÂÂÂu00c2u008f ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087³ (@Piyu_Nair) July 5, 2020
that's bagheera don't disturb him
— NIRVANA // ACAB // CranialCosmos STAN account (@WhoShotMyCow) July 5, 2020
Bagheera ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0098ÂÂÂu00c2u008d pic.twitter.com/cuIoYrw8BF
— gru (@gru26) July 5, 2020
Look for the bare necessities....the simple...
— Mohamed Abdeen Satti (@mohedesgins) July 6, 2020
It reminds me of Bagira from the jungle bookðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0098ÂÂÂu00c2u008d
— Tina Rai (@TinaRai81526323) July 5, 2020
Some Twitter users also made a reference to Marvel Comics' Black Panther.
Why is black panther in India. What happened to wakanda jungles
— BULLY WITH THE BULLETPROOF ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087°ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087ªðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087°ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087ªðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087°ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087ªðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087°ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087ª (@254Simz) July 5, 2020
Wakanda forever
— saliha arif (@salihaarif1) July 5, 2020
Kabini Forever pic.twitter.com/aeRwDKiVew
— BðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0085°ï¸ÂÂÂu00c2u008frle-G ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087®ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0087³ (@Zero_humour) July 5, 2020
Seems TCHALLA has lost his way oo from wakanda
— Oliver ðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0098ÂÂÂu00c2u008eðÂÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂÂu00c2u0098ÂÂÂu00c2u008e (@Starboyfresch) July 5, 2020
Meanwhile, Mahesh Kumar added that a black panther is nothing but a leopard with excessive melanin on its coat and gets all the attention because of the publicity people give it. "It gets speciality only because of the people who follow it and give publicity to that animal. They have some kind of special value attached to it. Otherwise, it is just like any other animal, only thing is it is melanistic," he said.
Melanin is the pigment that gives black colouration to biological tissues such as skin, feathers, or hair in animals as well as humans. Kumar said the rosette spots can be identified on a black panther's coat as well on a careful and closer look. "It is nothing but a leopard species, but because of high melanin content in the body, it expresses that black colour. It is not a different species. Some people have a doubt that it is a different species altogether," he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
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