Archive · 26 Jan 2026
Rare Black Leopards Spotted in Kurseong Forest
In the forests of Kurseong, a small town in West Bengal, India, a very rare and exciting thing happened.
Two black leopards, which are also called melanistic leopards, were seen together for the first time in that area.
These black leopards are special because they are not very common, and seeing two of them together is even more special.
The forests in Kurseong are full of big pine trees and beautiful flowers like rhododendrons and white orchids.
The officials who take care of the forest are very happy and excited about this sighting.
They think it's important and want to learn more about why so many black animals and insects live in this small forest.
They are also working to protect the wildlife and are planning to put more cameras in the forest to keep an eye on the animals.
A pair of melanistic (black) leopards was recently spotted in the Kurseong forest, marking a rare and historic sighting.
This is the first recorded instance of a pair of black leopards being sighted together in the Kurseong forest division and possibly in the entire country.
The sighting was captured on trap cameras installed in the forest areas of Kurseong, specifically in the Bagora forest range.
Melanistic leopards are classified as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List and are primarily found in the forests of Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and the upper reaches of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills.
The area where the leopards were sighted is at an elevation of around 6,000 feet above sea level, and other rare black animals like a black deer, black civet, and melanistic tarantulas have also been recorded in the same forest division.
- Who
- Devesh Pandey, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Kurseong forest division
- What
- Sighting of a pair of melanistic leopards
- When
- Recently (exact date not specified)
- Where
- Kurseong forest, West Bengal, India
- Why
- To document and study the rare occurrence of melanistic leopards in the wild
- Location
- Kurseong forest, West Bengal, India
- Species
- Melanistic leopards (black leopards)
- Conservation Status
- Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)
- Elevation
- 6,000 feet above sea level
- Significance
- First recorded sighting of a pair in India
- Other Wildlife
- Black deer, black civet, melanistic tarantulas