Jaw-Dropping Photos Of A Rare Kind Of Black Panther That Roams Indian Jungles

"This black panther is a leopard with an abundance of melanin. Unlike other cats in the Kabini Forest, there is only one black panther. This of course makes him far more difficult to photograph."

Ayoub

• Published in Animal Stories
• July 19, 2020

Raised in South India, photographer and wildlife filmmaker Shaaz Jung has grown near the country’s best national parks and he's been fascinated by black panthers his whole life. Jung became obsessed with his passion and he wanted nothing more than to introduce the world to these masters of darkness by shedding more light on them.

Jung's dream led him to spend the last couple of years in the Kabini Forest in Karnataka, India, where he was able to capture some amazing shots of this amazing creature. He shows the black panther in its full splendor through some of the best nature photographs you will ever see.

“I spent two and a half years in the Kabini Forest, between December 2017 and January 2020, on a filming permit,” Jung told Bored Panda. “This filming permit allowed [me and the team] to make a documentary on the black panther for National Geographic.”

Shaaz said that as Director of Photography, for him every day was like a journey into the unknown. Attempting to unravel the enigmatic black panther's secrets has been quite a challenging project according to his experience.

“This black panther is a leopard with an abundance of melanin. Unlike other cats in the Kabini Forest, there is only one black panther,” Jung explained. “This of course makes him far more difficult to photograph. However, since 2015… photographers have been fortunate enough to see him and take pictures. We are, however, the first to make a dedicated movie on him.”

Everyone involved in this demanding project learned the art of patience. “It’s been an incredible journey,” Jung said.

“I would like to thank the Karnataka Forest Department for protecting these forests. Their hard work enables us to catch glimpses of these beautiful animals that are thriving in our Indian forests.”

In a way, Jung’s entire life had been leading up to this job. He was raised in South India and was lucky enough to grow up near the country’s best national parks.

“The jungle is a labyrinth riddled with secrets that are waiting to be uncovered. Every day in the forest was like a puzzle and I had to put the pieces of this puzzle together in order to successfully unlock its secrets.”

Those secrets gave birth to some of the most breathtaking moments ever captured on camera.

“The camera allowed me to take photographs, immortalizing these moments, relishing life, and inspiring the world,” he said. “Wildlife is unpredictable and I love the challenge of tracking your subject before you can photograph it. It feels far more rewarding.”

The hard work that Jung dedicated to capturing wildlife ended up paying off. He was blessed with the opportunity to travel some of the most beautiful places on Earth and encountered some breathtaking creatures.

Jung became Nikon India and Samsung's ambassador and also runs Safari Lodges in his spare time, where he helps wildlife enthusiasts by privately guiding them in South India and East Africa.

Shaaz also photographs other big cats

Here's how people on the internet reacted to these gorgeous photographs:

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