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Nat Geo wrongly claims black leopard hasn’t been spotted in Africa in 100 years

February 13th, 2019 1 min read

A story that claimed a rare black leopard had not been seen in Africa for 100 years has left Kenyans up in arms.

The black leopard was spotted and photographed near Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia by biologist Nick Pilfold, a discovery which cements Kenya as a natural tourist destination.

A feature by National Geographic has reported this is the first animal of its kind to be spotted in almost a century.

The headline screams: “Black leopard spotted in Africa for first time in 100 years.”

“As recently as 2017, only a single sighting had been confirmed – a photograph taken in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and stored in the collections of the National Meseum of Natural History in Washington D.C,” the report says in part.

That is not true. A similar coloured animal was captured by former Nation photojournalist Phoebe Okal in 2013.

Understandably, Kenyans sneered at the story on social media.