Reported by: Manoj Kumar Ojha
Doomdooma: A rare black panther was spotted on Tuesday morning at the Hansara Tea Garden in Assam’s Tinsukia district, just days after forest officials had captured a leopard from the same area. The sighting has triggered both excitement and concern among locals and tea garden workers, with a video of the animal now circulating widely.
Eyewitnesses described the elusive feline moving smoothly through dense bushes. “It looked like a ghost in the mist-completely black, powerful and fearless. We have seen leopards before, but this one felt different,” said locals, adding that similar sightings had been reported earlier in the area.
Black panthers are not a separate species but melanistic leopards (Panthera pardus), where a genetic condition called melanism causes excess dark pigmentation. Though their spots remain faintly visible in certain light, they appear almost entirely black. In Northeast India, such sightings are extremely rare, with confirmed records from places like Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke Tiger Reserve and sporadic reports from Manas National Park.
Tinsukia’s tea gardens have recently seen a rise in leopard movement with several animals captured in estates including Raidang, Daimukhia, and Deohall. Forest officials have been relocating them to reduce human-wildlife conflict, and the appearance of a black panther adds a new dimension to the situation.
Experts believe habitat loss, deforestation, changing weather patterns, and reduced prey availability are pushing wild cats closer to human settlements. Tea estates, with their dense greenery near forest areas are increasingly becoming temporary habitats for such animals.
Forest department officials said monitoring has been intensified.“We are keeping a close watch on the situation.Necessary steps,including camera trapping and safe capture methods,will be taken if required,” an official said.
The unusual sighting has once again highlighted the fragile balance between Assam’s biodiversity rich landscapes and expanding human activity.