Four black panthers — three cubs in company of their mother — were recently sighted in Achanakmar tiger reserve in Chhattisgarh’s Bilashpur district, nearly 150 km from here, a senior forest officer said here. The exotic animals were caught in cameras, installed in Achana-kmar wildlife sanctuary, for tiger census recently.
“Four black panthers, a mother and her three cubs, were spotted in Achanakmar wildlife sanctuary, during the recent census of big cats,” principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF), Chhattisgarh, Mr Ram Prakash, told this newspaper here on Sunday.
“We have earlier got evidence of presence of black panthers in Chhattisgarh forests. But, this is the second time, the rare animals were sighted,” Mr Prakash said. According to him, a few years back, a black panther, known as “the ghost of forest” for its stealth nature, was captured in a reserve forest in the state by forests officials and handed over to the Nandan zoo at Raipur. But the majestic animal died a few months later.
The latest tiger census has counted 26-28 tigers in three tiger reserves in Chhattisgarh. There are four tiger reserves in Chhattisgarh.
They are Achanakmar wildlife sanctuary, Udanti and Sitanadi tiger reserve, Guru Ghasidas national park, and Indravati national park.