Strawberry-coloured leopard photographed in South Africa
21st April 2012
Apparently leopards can change their spots, as one resident leopard of Madikwe Game Reserve has demonstrated...
A rarely seen before pink-hued leopard has been photographed in one of South Africa's game reserves. The species is typically tawny with black spots but this one has a rosey tinge to its coat. It was photographed by Deon De Villiers of SafaGraphics, photographer and safari guide.
Deon excitedly told Wanderlust about the magnificent discovery: “The leopard was a resident of the Madikwe Game Reserve in the north-west province of South Africa. It was well known as an interesting animal that lived in the area."
“I was lucky enough to see the animal on a single occasion, but that was special enough, and I managed to get a photo of it. We didn’t track it as there are many leopards that live in this vicinity, but only one that carried this distinct colouration,” Deon said.
The photo was sent to big cat charity Panthera for further investigation. Panthera attributed the leopard's unusual colouring to a little-understood genetic condition called erythrism. It's very rare in carnivores, with only a handful of credible examples dotted around the world.
Regardless, the leopard's colouring hasn't affected its health or life chances; it has maintained the ability to camouflage itself from prey. There is some concern however, about poaching of the creature if it were to stray from the protective boundaries of Madikwe Game Reserve.
If you fancy your chances at tracking down this elusive strawberry-coloured leopard, you can drive to Madikwe Game Reserve from Johannesburg in four hours. In the park, you'll be in with a chance of spotting the 'Big Five' too.
(Photograph of the pink-hued leopard was courtesy of Deon De Villiers of SafaGraphics)
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