Photograph : San Diego ZooPeninsular Malaysia hosts the largest population of both Indochinese leopards and melanistic leopards . More commonly known as " black panthers ", these melanistic variants seem to have developed an evolutionary advantage over the normal Indochinese leopards in Malaysia . According to Reuben Clements , an Associate Professor in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu who has studied leopards in the region for several years , the variant ' s black coats make them “ less sought after for their skins compared to the spotted leopards , ” reducing the threat from poaching . He also commented that the population may have hung on here due to “ more forest ” and the denser canopy of the Malaysian rainforests that could offer “ additional habitat for leopards to utilize and to evade dangers on the ground . ” Although Clements stated that “ No one knows for sure , ” another possible cause for the thriving " black panther " population might be the advantages that the black coat offers when hunting prey at night . Hopefully , such traits continue to help the " black panther " thrive and draw more attention towards the big cats in Southeast Asia that often fall victim to poaching . References : Hance , Jeremy . " Another Big Predator In Southeast Asia Faces Extinction ". The Guardian , https : / / www . theguardian . com / environment / radical - conservation / 2016 / aug / 31 / leopards - tigers - asia - snares - poaching - endangered - extinction .