Each step draws closer, a black leopard’s piercing eyes locked, a masterful blend of grace and intensity. After unprecedented rains, the usually arid landscape was waterlogged, which sparked new life and brought beautiful colorful vegetation. Black panthers are not one distinct species. They are any big cat that carry the recessive gene to make them melanistic. In this case, the black panther species photographed is an African leopard. It has been a lifelong goal of mine to photograph a black panther. The gaze of this majestic animal will stay with me forever and I hope it helps those who see photographs of the leopard to ignite a desire to conserve this beautiful planet and the animals that call it home.