What type of panther is this fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories in the "Jungle Book" that along with Baloo save Mowgli from Shere Khan?
Bagheera Bagheera (Hindi: बघीरा ; Urdu: بگیڑہ‎ "Baghīrā"/"Bagīdah") is a fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli stories in the "Jungle Book" (coll. 1894) and the "Second Jungle Book" (coll. 1895). He is a black panther (melanistic Indian leopard) who serves as friend, protector and mentor to the "man-cub" Mowgli. The word "bagheera" is Hindi/Urdu for black panther.
Kalahari lion The Kalahari lion ("Panthera leo melanochaita") is a lion population in the Kalahari region in southwestern Africa. In 2010, the small and isolated population was estimated at 683 to 1,397 individuals in three protected areas, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the Kalahari Gemsbok and Gemsbok National Parks.