In a jaw-dropping encounter, an Indian photographer caught on camera an extremely rare black leopard from just 30 feet away. Wildlife photographer Anurag Gawande captured the dark-colored leopard, or melanistic leopard, while on a safari at Tadoba National Park in western Maharashtra state in January. While melanistic leopards are already rare because of their black coats, this majestic male is even rarer, because its spots are so distinctively visible across its glistening satiny coat. It is the only such cat in the park, according to Gawande. In the footage, the gorgeous wild cat can be seen crossing a dirt road and staring straight at the camera as Gawande films from a distance. The 24-year-old photographer says he was just 30 feet away from the leopard when he spotted it. “It was surprising because we thought we will see a tiger but we saw [a] black leopard strolling on the pathway!” Gawande …