Photography – Rare Black Panther Roaming In The Jungles Of India

Shaaz Jung ‘s work primarily spans across South India and East Africa. His love for nature is reflected in how he portrays his subjects through his photography and writing in a unique style. His images of a black panther exploring Kabini Forest in Karnataka, India were recently posted on social media.

“Though I enjoy photographing my subjects in their natural environment, I have always been fascinated by depicting my work in a more artistic form. Unlike art, a photograph can be replicated or duplicated and this motivated me to create images that were true to the nature of the subject but with an artistic feel that made it unique. My aim was to evoke a sense of surrealism which symbolized a beautiful world with magical creatures, a world we may soon only dream about.“
– Shaaz Jung

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In search of psithurism, I found myself under the ancient trees of life, as silver raindrops danced and wild flowers reached for the sky. The air was rare that day, laden with secrets, and in that powerful silence, I found the Panther. . . I’m not one for numbers but we recently hit half a million and I want to thank all of you for being the backbone of this page. It’s been an incredible journey and I’ve met some incredibly talented people on this platform. Thank you for supporting me 🙏🏼 . . #shaazjung #500k #nikon #natgeowild #nature #wildlife #blackpanther

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on Apr 12, 2020 at 5:20am PDT

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In the dense forests of Kabini, the overpowering canopy often conceals the sky. So when the panther emerged and walked towards the fleeting colours of the setting sun, I knew I was witnessing something special. Yes, he did pause to give us a look, but there was something extraordinarily peaceful about watching the most enigmatic cat, walking into one of the greatest skies I had ever witnessed. . . #shaazjung #blackpanther #thebisonresort #kabini #wildlife #nature #nikon #nikonindia #natgeowild

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on Apr 25, 2020 at 4:05am PDT

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An eerie glow of first light hangs between the trees, silhouettes of branches dance without their leaves, wicked is the wind that waltzes thick as thieves, frigid is the mist for in it something breathes. . . This image does absolutely no justice to what we had witnessed that morning. We drove out at first light and watched darkness lift to reveal nothing but ambiguous shapes in the thick mist. We parked ourselves under the old Banyan, where he was seen the day before. The silence was deafening and dawn was like the dead of night. No songbirds sang, no crickets hummed yet there was an eerie sensation of being watched. Spending years on the same track, tracking the same animals, strengthens your intuition and within minutes a ghostly figure slowly took shape on the road ahead. It drifted by us in absolute silence and was by far my most chilling experience with the black panther. . . View my story for the BTS video. At this point, the light was far better but the image above was shot in extremely low light. I’ve played around with it in post to revive some light but kept it dark to try and retain some of it’s original vibe. . . #shaazjung #nikonz7 #nikonasia #blackpanther #wildlife #nature #natgeo #nikon #kabini

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on Jan 21, 2020 at 4:34am PST

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My jungle is ethereal, pink leaves and lucid dreaming, I manipulate the world that you believe in. . . #shaazjung #nikon #nature #wildlife #environmentalsurrealism

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on Aug 23, 2019 at 7:21am PDT

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In the winds of dawn, no wolves shall howl, no owls shall fly, yet the night still walks. . . Shot on the new mirrorless Nikon Z7. . . #shaazjung #natgeowild #nikonasia #nikonindiaofficial #nikonz7 #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #earthpix #blackpanther #kabini

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on May 24, 2019 at 6:03am PDT

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I was there when a ghost took flight, me and the tree-spirits of the night, I was there when the crows flew east, now these trees wear the mark of the beast. . . #shaazjung #blackpanther #moonlight #nikon #nikonindia #wildlife #nature #jungle #therealjunglebook #instagram #instadaily #instagood #safari

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on Aug 17, 2020 at 5:38am PDT

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Embrace the darkness. . . #shaazjung #blackpanther #nikon #wildlife #nature #instagram #instadaily

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on Aug 1, 2020 at 5:44am PDT

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Darkness breathes, the night has brought you, through these leaves, the two moons shall watch you. . . #shaazjung #blackpanther #nikon #nikonindia #wildlife #nature #natgeo #saya #therealjunglebook

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on Jul 23, 2020 at 4:37am PDT

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There’s something inexplicably beautiful about the melancholic mist and how it transforms dawn into an eerie land of the lost. The paths may seem deceptively apparent and it’s destinations unknown, but don’t be afraid to wander in the mist, for he who walks the endless path shall find the greatest treasures. . . Filmed with the #nikonz7 on a misty morning in the forests of South India. . . Song credit: A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics by James Horner. . . #shaazjung #nikon #nikonindiaofficial #nikonasia #wildlife #nature #mist

A post shared by Shaaz Jung (@shaazjung) on Jan 18, 2020 at 4:25am PST