An accomplished wildlife photographer had a truly special encounter with a family of elusive big cats while leading a photo tour group in an Indian national park. Matan Sharon and his tour group were in Manas National Park, at the foothills of the Himalayas in northeastern India, when they finally encountered the melanistic Indian leopard.
More commonly known as "black panthers”, these majestic yet elusive big cats make up just one in ten leopard individuals worldwide.
Found in the dense, shaded tropical rainforests of South and Southeast Asia, they carry a genetic mutation called melanism – which causes an overproduction of dark pigment while their underlying rosette patterns remain visible under certain light.
Above: Matan Sharon's dusk encounter with the leopard cubs
ABOVE: Watch Matan Sharon's dusk encounter with the leopard cubs
"After hours of intense waiting, with the invaluable help of our local guides, the magic happened," said Matan, speaking to Indian tour company FinderBridge. "Exactly 20 minutes after sundown, a head popped up from the tea plantation. It slowly began to climb. Total silence fell over us."
The group had spotted two melanistic leopard cubs and, as one began scaling a tree, the moment all wildlife photographers prayed for occurred: the animal looked directly into Matan's lens. However, just after, the encounter became even more special as the mother returned to feed her little ones.
Above: the mother leopard keeps tabs on the photographers
"She is so intelligent; she chose the only safe place around to raise her cubs. She knows when to leave them and when to return," commented Matan in a separate Instagram post. "I love watching her moving around at a precise pace [...]. She is taking advantage of humans, and when she feels uncomfortable, she switches gears and disappears."
The group also encountered a range of other animals in the national park, including the Indian greater one-horned rhino, Indian elephants and the Bengal monitor lizard, which looks like a smaller Komodo dragon.
"Having traveled to over 100 countries as a photographer, I can safely say Bodoland and Manas are among the most magical places I have ever visited," commented Matan in a third Instagram post.
What a truly incredible encounter – and one that the photographers are sure never to forget. I highly recommend checking out Matan's Instagram to see his fantastic work, and also our guide to the best cameras for wildlife photography, where we break down our expert-reviewed picks.
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