Do you love exploring the wild? Love clicking pictures of the wild animals in their own habitat? When we say wildlife photography, we promptly think of tigers, leopards, nilgai, wild boars, deer, elephants etc. A black panther doesn't make often to that list because of its elusive nature. Its black appearance is its melanistic colour variant in a leopard but it makes them look so regal, especially if you have an eye for wild animals. A sighting a black panther is not too easy as they are in deep jungles and rarely come out. And recently pictures of one captured by wildlife photographer Shaaz Jung are going viral. If you are one with patience and want to spot one, we give you some places in India where it is more likely to lay eyes on this black beauty.

Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

Saya, a black panther from Kabini is already creating a buzz online these days because of the stunning photos taken by photographer Shaaz Jung. He had to spend a considerable time, 5 years to be precise, to track this panther and capture the photos. But regular photos from Kabini show that black panthers have been residing here. One may not get to see it immediately on their first visit unless you are really lucky.

Best Time to Visit: October to May during the non-monsoon months.

Tadoba Andhari Reserve, Maharashtra

Maharashtra's Tadoba Andhari Reserve is known for its tiger population. But there is also a black panther in the core areas. Some tourists have been lucky to spot in the last two years. You can book your safari in advance, speak to the officials here and know if there have been recent sightings of the panther. Top Jungle Safari Destinations in India to Experience The Best of Wildlife.

Best Time to Visit: March to May is said to be a favourable time for visiting, as animals come out in search of water during summers.

Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

Karnataka's Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (NTR) is another spot to watch the black panther. Just this week, an officer confirmed a sighting of one. NTR stretches between Kodagu and Mysuru districts, used to be a hunting reserve in the olden days. Today the reserve has tigers, elephants, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, sloth bears, wild boars, among other varieties of reptiles and birds.

Best Time to Visit: April to May, November to February.

Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa

Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary is located in South-Eastern Goa. The location is adjacent to Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve of Karnataka, so there is a widespread of dense forests and evergreen habitat. Black panthers can be spotted here too among other wild animals. In the month of May, a black panther was sighted here for the first time.

Best Time to Visit: October to March

Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary, Chhattisgarh

You may have not heard of it enough, but Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary is a great place for wildlife enthusiasts. The cameras set up to track the tigers in here have often caught the presence of black panther. So if you are lucky enough, you might get to see it too.

Best Time to Visit: November to June

These are some of the wildlife sanctuaries in the country which have reported the sighting of black panthers in the recent past. It is important to note that black panthers are elusive and do not come to notice quickly because of their dark coat. One needs to have a lot of patience to spot them first, let alone capture these big wild cats in the camera. So whenever you head to any of these destinations, don't forget a lot of patience and long hours of tracking expertise will come in handy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 08, 2020 01:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).