Stunning shots have emerged of a rare black panther in Laikipia, Kenya.
It is the first of the creatures to be photographed in Africa without a camera trap.
The elusive cat, a two-year-old female christened Giza by the local trackers, was first seen in the area around the Ewaso Narok river 18 months ago. She was delivered in a litter of two cubs to a more usual spotted leopard.
Over many nights of observation, photographer Chris Brunskill and his specialist team of local trackers, led by ranger Joseph Mugambi, began to build up an understanding of the cat’s movements and on several occasions watched her cross the river at sunset to begin hunting before she returned a few hours later, often carrying her prey.
Brunskill said: ‘Getting the opportunity to track and photograph a black leopard at close range, alone in the wilds of Laikipia, was both an incredible thrill and an extraordinary privilege.’
