City shutterbug makes rare sighting of a black panther

Chennai: June 5 is a date that Chennai-based wildlife photographer Balaji Loganathan will remember: It was when he sighted a rare black panther in the forests of Kabini in Karnataka.
Loganathan was part of a team that was exploring a stretch of terrain in the Western Ghats, which is of a moist, deciduous forest type, and a prime area for birdwatchers, when he spotted the big cat.Ornithologists have recorded more than 270 species of birds in the area, including the oriental white-backed vulture, lesser adjutant, greater spotted eagle and the Nilgiri wood pigeon.
When members of the team spotted the black panther, the animal was facing away from them.
"Then, all of a sudden, it turned toward us stood still for a few seconds and in seconds vanished into the forest," Loganathan said.
People generally say one needs a lot of luck to spot a panther in the wild. But Loganathan disagrees.
"There is only a little truth in the statement," he said. "If one has the knowledge and skills, spotting a big cat in the wild is not that hard."
Following tracks, delicate disturbances on leaves on the forest floor and listening for the alarm calls that langurs make when big cats are near help one track the movement of big cats, Loganathan said.