Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Oct 4: Rrare melanistic tiger was recently spotted and captured on camera while roaming the wilds of Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. Footage of the striking big cat, taken with a DSLR camera, was shared by Odisha’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Susanta Nanda, on his X handle on Friday.
This sighting is particularly exciting as the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Odisha government prepare for the world’s first melanistic tiger safari in Baripada along NH-18.
Sources indicate that the safari is expected to open to visitors by the end of this year. Similipal Tiger Reserve is unique as it is the only habitat in the world known to house melanistic tigers, characterized by their broad black stripes, which are thicker than those found on typical tigers. The presence of melanistic tigers in the reserve was first reported in 2007, and a census conducted by the Odisha forest department in 2016 identified six such tigers.
