A Kenya-based photographer has managed to capture some incredible pictures of a rare black panther that was out in the wild.
In August, Andrew Andrawes, 34, sighted a melanistic leopard in Laikipia, northern Kenya, as he ventured out with a local guide.
The photographer, who originally hails from Egypt, introduced the rare panther as Giza Mrembo, which translates to “beautiful darkness.”
Sharing more about his encounter with Giza, Andrawes said that after establishing eye contact with her, he was overwhelmed with emotion.
After catching their first glimpse of Giza, he and the local guide were able to see her again a few hours after sunset. This time, she appeared to be in full hunt mode.
“We watched her crouch and slowly crawl from bush to bush,” Andrawes said. “She was a shadow swiftly floating through the night.”
Twice, Giza got very close to her prey—once to a group of impala and the next time to a dik-dik (small antelope). However, she was unsuccessful at capturing them, as they got away.
But as Giza soon blended in with the darkness, she approached another dik-dik.
“There was no chase and the prey had no idea she was there until it was too late,” Andrawes said. “She literally plucked the dik-dik out of the blackness and within minutes she was up in a tree.
“She began eating her reward and we let her be.”
