A wildlife photographer was left mesmerized after spotting a rare black leopard just 30 feet away from him. He seized the opportunity and captured the moment.

Anurag Gawande was on a safari at Tadoba National Park in the western Indian state of Maharashtra when he saw the melanistic leopard crossing a track.

"It was surprising because we thought we will see a tiger but we saw black leopard [sic] strolling on the pathway!" The 24-year-old photographer said as per Ladbible.

Gawande said he was tracking a tiger when he unexpectedly came across the leopard that had been hunting a deer at the national park.

"We were tracking a tiger but on the way on Tadoba lake we heard a deer call and at the next moment we saw black leopard [sic]. It was sitting on the pathway. Then he saw a deer and then he tried to hunt that deer but he failed. Then again it came back on road and sat there for 15-20 minutes and we got some amazing shot of the majestic animal. Then he saw a deer and then he tried to hunt that deer but he failed. Then again it came back on road and sat there for 15-20 minutes and we got some amazing shot of the majestic animal," he recalled.

Interestingly, it was not Gawande's first encounter with the rare animal, having seen it a year ago. But he was elated to spot it again.

"I felt the same thrill while watching it but this time I was aware of its moment. We kept our vehicle off and kept enough distance so that it will not move from the spot," he said.

The video of the recent encounter showed the leopard crossing the track while staring straight into the camera.

The incident comes months after a photo of a leopard and its black panther "shadow" went viral. Mithun H was shooting in the Kabini Forest Reserve in the southern Indian state of Karnataka when "a single Deer alarm led me to this breathtaking sight."

wildlife safari
Representational image of a safari jeep with tourists. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)
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