Alexander Ley is a wildlife photographer whose photos and videos of “the incredible black leopard of Laikipia” have won hundreds of thousands of likes on social media. Laikipia is a county in Kenya that’s famous in part for black-leopard sightings. Black leopards aren’t a species; they’re a melanistic form of a leopard, and therefore, they are very rare. Ley’s most recent footage of a black leopard leaping is stunning.
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“Witnessing a black panther in full flight!” wrote Ley in his Instagram post sharing the video. “A melanistic leopard, mid-air, leaping across a river, what a moment! Seeing this firsthand was unreal, but being able to capture it? Even better. Everything aligned perfectly; timing, reaction, positioning. One of those rare times where instinct kicks in, and it all just works.”
Ley says this video and photo set is one of his favorite sequences ever.
Watch a rare black leopard leaping here: