An extremely rare leopard with different coloured eyes has been spotted on camera for the first time ever.
In the images, the big cat can be seen perched on a tree staring directly into the camera lens.
While one of the big cat’s eyes is bluish-green, the other is dark brown.
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The snaps were captured by photographer Dhruv Patil in Bandipur National Park, India on August 1st, as reported by What’s the Jam.
This unusual characteristic, known as heterochromia, is a genetic condition where the pigmentation of each eye is different.
The occurrence of this mutation in a wild leopard is almost unheard of and hasn’t been recorded among leopards in India before.
It’s the first time a leopard with heterochromia has ever been caught on camera.
The 21-year-old hadn’t seen the leopard before despite visiting the national park more than 50 times in five years.
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He snapped the image using a Nikon Z9 with the Z400mm f4.5
Dhruv, from Bangalore India said: “It was my first time seeing this particular leopard.
“It’s the first ever photo and video documentation of a heterochromic leopard.
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“I’ve been doing photography since I was 10 years old, 11 years ago.
“I’ve filmed the world’s first documented black panther for six years.
“I always look for idiosyncratic sightings as they tell the most compelling stories and make room for more research.
“I’ve been going to the national park for five years now. It’s perhaps my 50th trip.”
The experienced wildlife photographer has previously captured images of a black panther at Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary.
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