We had been tracking this elusive melanistic leopard through the darkness, listening for the faintest clues of her movement. Melanism—a rare genetic trait that causes an overproduction of pigment—gives these leopards their striking black coats, though their rosette patterns can still be seen when the light catches them just right. After losing her trail completely, the forest suddenly erupted with alarm calls from a dik-dik. In that moment, we knew she had made a kill.