An ultra-rare leopard colour morph has been documented for the first time in Karnataka, in Vijayanagara district, by wildlife scientist Sanjay Gubbi and his team from the Holématthi Nature Foundation (HNF).
Sandalwood hues
Unlike most leopards that possess tawny coats with black rosettes, this exceptionally rare colour morph exhibits a pale reddish-pink coat, similar to the colour of sandalwood, with light-brown rosettes.
“Only a handful of such leopards have been documented so far across the globe. Internationally, leopards of this colour morph are referred to as Strawberry leopards. But to honour Karnataka’s cultural heritage, we want to name it sandalwood leopard,” Mr. Gubbi said.
Karnataka is one of the largest sandalwood producers in India.
Ultra-rare condition
The leopard, documented by Mr. Gubbi’s team through camera trapping, is a female, estimated to be around six or seven years old.
The unusual colouration is believed to result from a genetic condition involving either an excess of red pigmentation or a deficiency of dark pigmentation. In India, only a single such individual has been documented prior to this, in the Ranakpur region of Rajasthan in November 2021. Globally a few have been recorded in South Africa and single one in Tanzania.
According to Mr. Gubbi, molecular analysis using DNA samples is required to determine the exact genetic mechanism that has led to the unusual colouration in the Vijayanagara individual.
“This leopard is consistent with conditions such as hypomelanism or erythrism, both of which are naturally occurring genetic traits identified in wild mammals. The current assessment is based on photographic evidence and visual characteristics…Until genetic evidence is available, it is scientifically appropriate to describe this animal as a rare colour morph rather than assign a specific genetic condition,” he said.
Understudied region
The documentation was carried out by the HNF team comprising Sanjay Gubbi, Sandesh Appu Naik, Shravan Suthar, Poornesha H.C., Ruma Kundarkar, Ravichandra Velip, Dayanand Mirashi, Sumit Velip, Aishwarya Karanth, and Mayur Mirashi.
Camera trapping was conducted as part of HNF’s ongoing efforts to estimate leopard populations and identify key landscapes for large mammal conservation in the Kalyana-Karnataka region.
“This region remains understudied from a wildlife conservation perspective yet holds significant potential for conserving arid-zone species such as the Indian grey wolf, striped hyena, and Bengal fox,” said a statement from the foundation. The HNF’s research indicates that Karnataka supports around 2,500 leopards.
