Ten Black Tigers Found In Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha

At present, a total of ten Melanistic Tigers (black tigers) have been found in the country. All of them are found exclusively in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) of Odisha. This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 21 December 2023.

• As per the 2022 cycle of All India Tiger Estimation, the presence of 16 tigers was recorded in STR, of which 10 were melanistic tigers.
• The Union Minister said that STR has been identified as a specific conservation cluster.
• According to the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in September 2021, there is considerable variation among tiger populations in the STR. There is very limited gene flow among them compared to other tigers. According to researchers, such variations found in tiger populations make them highly susceptible to extinction. This affects tiger conservation efforts.

About Black Tiger:

• This is a rare-coloured tiger. The colour and pattern of stripes on the body of a black tiger is dark, like that of wild cats. It appears to be caused by a mutation in the transmembrane aminopeptidase Q gene.
• The unusually dark or black stripes in such tigers are also called pseudo-melanistic or artificial colouration.
• If any tiger is selected from Similipal, there is about a 60% chance that it carries the mutant gene.
• Scientists have discovered the secret behind the colours of Odisha's 'Black Tigers' in the Similipal Tiger Reserve.
• STR is the only tiger habitat in the world where melanistic tigers are found.

About Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR):

• The STR for the Tiger Reserve was selected in 1956. Which was brought under Project Tiger in the year 1973.
• In June 1994, the Government of India declared the STR a biosphere reserve.
• This biosphere reserve has been part of UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.

Location of STR:

• The STR is located in the northern part of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, which is geographically located at the eastern end of the Eastern Ghats.

Major Protected Areas of Odisha:

• Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Bhitarkanika National Park.
• Kotgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Nandankanan Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Chilika (Nalban) Bird Sanctuary.