India, Jan. 2 -- In a rare and significant wildlife record, an ultra-rare leopard colour morph has been documented for the first time in Karnataka, in Vijayanagara district, by conservation biologist and expert on leopards, Sanjay Gubbi and his team from the Holematthi Nature Foundation (HNF).

Most leopards (Panthera pardus) possess tawny coats with black rosettes. However, this exceptionally rare colour morph exhibits a pale reddish-pink coat-resembling the hue of sandalwood-with light-brown rosettes.

"This genetically unusual colouration is believed to result from a genetic condition involving either an excess of red pigmentation or a deficiency of dark pigmentation. To give the morph a native identity and reflect Karnataka's cultural...