Hearing reports of a rare black leopard, Will worked with guides, landowners, researchers and the local people who first saw it, to position camera traps. Soon he got his first image, ‘a pair of eyes surrounded by inky darkness’, one of many obtained over the next year.
Leopards usually have rosette-patterned spots. For a chance of a cub being black, both parents must carry the recessive gene for a melanistic coat. Even then, shadows of the distinctive rosettes remain.
UK
Will is a wildlife photographer, author, entrepreneur, creator of BeetleCam (a remote-control camera buggy) and founder of Camtraptions Ltd. He spends much of his time working on long-term book projects in Africa. His latest, The Black Leopard, features a rare melanistic African leopard. Will also spent a year documenting the last remaining big tusker elephants in Tsavo, Kenya for his book, Land of Giants.
Help us harness the power of photography to advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love for nature.
