Chamarajanagar: It was a delight for the Forest Department officials as for the first time, a black leopard was sighted in Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve in Chamarajanagar district.

A camera trap, installed to count tigers has captured the photo of the black leopard walking near K. Dam in Bylur Forest Zone. 

Black leopards have been spotted in Bandipur,  Kabini backwaters and Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Forests earlier and with the black leopard being spotted in BRT, it has caused happiness among wildlife lovers.

BRT tiger area was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1987 and in 2011 it was declared as a Tiger Reserve Forest. BRT shares its borders with Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and Sathyamangala Tiger Protection Forest and BRT houses tigers, leopards, wild dogs and other carnivorous and herbivorous wild animals. Now, the black leopard is added to the list.

Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Santosh Kumar, speaking to SOM said that the sighting of the black leopard indicates the increase in the population of carnivorous animals in BRT.