Black panther makes public appearance at Central Zoo in Nepal

Nov 14, 2025

Lalitpur (Nepal), Nov 14 (ANI):Nepal's Central Zoo has got a new member, which has now started attracting visitors of all age groups, from children to the elderly. Dubbed the 'Ghost of the Forest,' a female black panther has been drawing crowds at its enclosure from the very first day.Rescued from the Illam district in eastern Nepal on September 2, the black panther has been on display since Wednesday.It is a three-year-old female black panther. We have rescued it from Illam district. It is not the common type of leopard that we usually get to see. Recently we also had rescued a common leopard from the Swiss Embassy in Kathmandu. After a long gap, this black panther has been brought to the central zoo. A black panther is not a separate species but a common leopard with a genetic mutation called melanism, which darkens its coat and hides its spots. These melanistic leopards are extremely rare. Nepal’s national zoo previously housed one rescued from Okharpauwa in 1996, but it died within two weeks. Now, nearly three decades later, a new black panther has arrived and is already drawing many visitors.