About Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Location: It is located in the West Bengal.
- It is one of the oldest sanctuaries in India, having been established in 1915.
- It is nestled in the biogeographic zone of Gangetic plain.
- It is actually the south east extension of the Singalila National Park.
- Vegetation: It mainly consists of Temperate and alpine forest.
- Flora: The forest has different kinds of trees and plantation including oak, pines and birch.
- Fauna: It provides habitat for barking deer, wild boar, Himalayan black bear, Indian leopard, jungle cat, rhesus monkey, Assam macaque, Himalayan flying squirrel.
What is Melanism?
- It is the advanced version of the dark-coloured pigment called melanin found in the skin, hair, fur or feathers of various organisms.
- It is supposedly the outcome of a genetic mutation, but can also occur due to peculiar temperature changes during gestation.
- Melanistic Leopard is simply a leopard with a unique genetic trait which makes its coat appear almost completely black.
