¨     An ultra-rare leopard colour morph has been documented for the first time in Karnataka’s Vijayanagara district.

¨     Conservationists have named this big cat the "Sandalwood Leopard," inspired by its distinctive light reddish-pink fur, which resembles the color of sandalwood and is marked with light brown spots.
¨     The sighting marks only the second such record in India and the first in the state. It was previously spotted in Rajasthan in November 2021.
¨     The leopard was recorded during a study conducted by the Holematthi Nature Foundation.
¨     Globally, this colour morph has been documented only five times across South Africa, Tanzania and India.
¨     The leopard’s unusual colouring is believed to be caused by genetic traits such as hypomelanism or erythrism.
¨     Camera trap images confirmed that the leopard is a female, estimated to be around seven years old.
¨     One photograph also showed the leopard with a cub displaying a normal tawny coat.
¨     Researchers stated that definitive identification would require molecular analysis using non-invasive DNA samples.
¨     The discovery highlights Karnataka’s rich leopard diversity, including one of India’s highest populations of melanistic leopards.