Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer and wildlife enthusiast Ramesh Pandey has shared the video of a rare black tiger caught on camera at Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. The majestic tiger tries to climb a tree and then walks away
The so-called black tigers are due to pseudo-melanism which is a genetic mutation. Pseudo-melanistic tigers have thick stripes so close together that the tawny background is barely visible between stripes. In Simlipal National Park, 37% of the tiger population has this condition, which has been linked to isolation and inbreeding, according to Wikipedia.
Hardwork, commitment, dedication and supreme sacrifice of our staff is visible in results… Similipal tiger numbers have doubled compared to 2018 census.. wish you all a very happy world ranger day. pic.twitter.com/XFUrykootk
— Dr.Samrat Gowda IFS (@IfsSamrat) July 31, 2023
“Beautiful camera trap video of a melanistic tiger in Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha, the only place where we see blackish tigers because of genetic mutations in the population,” the IFS officer wrote.
