Mudumalai National Park is a part of the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, located at a distance of 150 kilometres from Coimbatore, in the Nilgiri District of Tamilnadu. It connects the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats and owes its popularity to the fact that it’s home to many vulnerable and endangered animal and bird species.

The neighbouring states of Kerala and Karnataka both have their borders adjacent to the park. The Ooty-Mysore highway passes through the forest, curving around the Moyar river which separates Mudumalai and the Bandipur National Park. Mudumalai is presently being considered for declaration as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The 6,000 square kilometre area under consideration comprises of the Western Ghats in Nilgiri, encompassing all of Mudumalai National Park.

Mudumalai is best known for its beautiful landscape of the blue skies complimenting the Nilgiri Hills owning the similar tint and surrounding hills and the Mudumalai National Park, which houses many species of animals and birds. Bird watching is an interesting activity here as fine bird specimens flock this area quite often.

Before Kabini, brief sightings of black panthers were reported in Mudumalai National Park, Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, and the Nilgiri Biosphere. A few people were perplexed by the incident since they couldn’t figure out how the melanistic cat ended up in Kabini when no one had ever seen one before.

For the black panther in Kabini, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. Saaya, who is younger and less experienced than the other male leopards in the area, has fought for his territory several times. The well-known Scarface, a powerful alpha male, is his most formidable foe. Saaya’s lustrous black coat easily blew his cover, unlike other common leopards with rosettes that help them blend in with their prey. At the first indication of movement, Langurs would instantly raise the alert. Hunting was a difficult task.

The black panther’s coat was a problem in the summer, sticking out against the brown vegetation. Having to stay alert all of the time, keep competing males at bay, and hunt, simply surviving might have been difficult. The black panther grew stronger as he got older. He also improved his ability to adjust to changing conditions and increased his hunting success. The black panther was victorious in subsequent brutal combat with one of the most dangerous males, winning him the privilege to mate. His partner, Cleopatra, was undoubtedly the most beautiful leopardess in the area.