Jaipur, Nov 11 (IANS): For the first time in the history of the country, locals in Rajasthan's Pali district spotted a rare 'pink leopard' in the Ranakpur region, which is located in the Aravalli hills.

This is the first sighting of a 'pink leopard' in the country, confirmed officials.

Experts said that this leopard's strawberry-coloured coat may be because of a genetic condition.

In 2012, a leopard with spots on a pink coat was spotted in South Africa. It was again spotted in 2019.

Forest officials confirmed that locals in Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh have been claiming to have spotted the 'pink leopard' many times earlier. However, it was only recently that the big cat with a strawberry-coloured coat was photographed in the region.

The Kumbhalgarh forest area is located in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district, which is spread across 600 sq kms. It is home to the Indian leopard, Indian wolf, striped hyena, golden jackal and sambhar, among other species.