Rare 'pink leopard' spotted in Rajasthan's Ranakpur hills, first sighting in India!

Rare Pink Leopard spotted in Rajasthan: Villagers in Rajasthan's Ranakpur region have reported spotting a rare 'pink leopard'. This is the first recorded sighting of a leopard with a strawberry-coloured coat in India.

Locals in Rajasthan's Pali district claim to have spotted a rare 'pink leopard' in the Ranakpur region, located in the Aravalli hills. This is the first reported sighting of a 'pink leopard' in the country.

Earlier, a leopard with spots on a pink coat instead of the usual yellowish-brown was spotted in South Africa in 2012 and again in 2019.

Rajsamand Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Fateh Singh Rathore told the Times of India that locals in Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh claimed to have spotted the 'pink leopard' on more than one occasion. It was only recently that the big cat with a strawberry-coloured coat was photographed in the region.

Fascinating. A strawberry coloured pink leopard was recently sighted in the Aravalli hills of south Rajasthan. This is the first time this rare cat has been seen in India. Earlier sightings were reported from South Africa in 2012 and 2017. pic.twitter.com/stpinzv5fC

— Pritish Nandy (@PritishNandy) November 10, 2021

"As conservator of wildlife, we aim to protect the leopard by restricting human invasion into its territory," Rathore told the national daily.

Rare pink leopard sighted in Ranakpur hills of Rajasthan (For global #wildlife #news, visit #wildtrails at https://t.co/qdysMKANMv) pic.twitter.com/XE34LVcgBb

— WildTrails.in (@_WildTrails) November 10, 2021

Spread across 600 sq km of land, the Kumbhalgarh forest area is located in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district. The forest area, which covers the mountain ranges of the Aravalli, is home to the Indian leopard, Indian wolf, striped hyena, golden jackal and sambhar, among other species.

The most recent sighting of the rare 'pink leopard' in the region is being viewed both as a matter of pride and concern by locals.

Some experts believe that this leopard's strawberry-coloured coat may have been caused by a genetic condition.

A retired Indian Forest Officer (IFS), Sunayan Sharma, told Hindustan Times that the 'pink leopard' was likely a mature female with a cub. "I haven't come across a pink leopard," he added.

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