Elusive predator — the color of night — appears in daylight in Thailand. See it
Morning in the Kaeng Krachan National Park brings sunlight to the thick Thailand forests and birdsong to the air.
For one park ranger on duty, it also brought the appearance of an elusive creature.
Busakorn Kantuk, a ranger stationed at Panoenthung, rushed to grab a camera when a black panther crossed his path early in the morning on May 8, according to a Facebook post from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
The animal was moving gracefully, the ranger told officials, and was calm as it lumbered along the road.
The ranger snapped photos of the big cat, watching as it walked off into the distance.
Black panthers are primarily nocturnal, their midnight-colored coats allowing their bodies to blend in with their surroundings.
It makes them an apex predator, park officials said.
Seeing the black panther in broad daylight, therefore, is an indication that the species feels safe in the park environment, enough to venture out when it won’t be hidden, officials said.
The cat’s role as an apex predator means it keeps the population of herbivores in check, and therefore the balance of the entire ecosystem. Without the panthers at the top of the food chain, the rest of the system could collapse, according to the department.
The name “black panther” refers to melanistic variants of leopards or jaguars, found in Africa and Asia, according to Britannica. They can be solid black or have the typical black leopard spots on a dark background fur color.
Black leopards are most commonly found in the dense forests of southeastern Asia, according to Big Cat Rescue, and are considered an endangered species in Thailand, officials said.
Black panthers are rare, with only an estimated 11% of the total leopard and jaguar population exhibiting the distinct black coloration, according to Britannica.
Kaeng Krachan National Park, with more than 1,000 square miles of protected land is the largest national park in Thailand.
The park sits on the southern Thailand peninsula, along the border with Myanmar.
ChatGPT, an AI chat bot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Elusive predator — the color of night — appears in daylight in Thailand. See it."
