Rare sighting: Black panther quietly enters home in India's Coonoor. WATCH

An Indian Forest Service (IFoS)officer recently took to social media platform X to share a remarkable video of a rare encounter with a black panther in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district. The clip, recorded on a CCTV camera, showed the majestic presence of the elusive big cat roaming around the front yard of a house.

The 36-second clip, shared on February 16, quickly gained traction, amassing over 1 lakh views and sparking a mix of reactions among social media users. While some expressed fear at the intimidating sight of the black panther near human habitation, others found the encounter fascinating and beautiful.

Watch the video here:

Internet reacts to unusual visitor

Commentators on social media shared their awe and disbelief at the rare sighting, with some remarking on the typically elusive nature of black panthers in the wild. Many enthusiasts expressed envy at the homeowner's stroke of luck in witnessing such a rare and awe-inspiring sight right outside their doorstep.

Known for their elusive behaviour and preference for remote, densely forested habitats, black panthers are a symbol of stealth and mystery in the animal kingdom. Their sightings are considered exceedingly rare and are often the subject of fascination and admiration among wildlife enthusiasts.

“Bagheera looking for Mowgli,” wrote an X user. “So rare to see this black panther!” added another. “Imagine the shock of those people, if there were any, in that house when this scene happened. Or when they came to know about this from CCTV,” joined a third. “Such a beauty and scary as well,” wrote a fourth.

(With inputs from agencies)