Two incredibly unique and rare ‘black’ tigers were observed during a hike through Nandankanan National Park in eastern India. The identification of these beautiful creatures has only been in the Indian state of Odisha. Specialists have claimed that in recent years only seven to eight remained in the region.
They have a unique appearance due to a genetic condition known as pseudo-melanism. It results in their dark stripe pattern fusing on a bright orange-gold fur, bestowing them a completely dark appearance. Satya Swagat, a 23-year-old student from New Delhi, was only 10 meters away when he took a picture of the distinctive beasts last November, and he said he had ‘goosebumps’ at first sight.
Black tigers’ unique hereditary mutation may be the outcome of their isolation and inbreeding
‘I got goose-bumps when I first saw the melanistic tiger. It was hard for me to believe my eyes and for a minute I forgot to pick up my camera as the big cat moved right in front of my eyes. I was taken aback beauty of the rare tiger,’ he said.
“I kept calm and the tiger obliged me with better sightings and better shots. Not many have seen them in the forest. And not many have been able to get so close to the rare cats,” he added.
According to animal studies, black tigers’ unique hereditary mutation may be the outcome of their isolation and inbreeding in the Odisha region. Researchers reviewing the endangered creatures in the Similipal Reserve indicated that the exclusivity in the genetic mutation stems from the tigers being inbred and scarcely communicating with other species beyond the East Indian state. In September, there was a shining light on the elusive black tigers of Odisha.
In late 2020, a wildlife lover glimpsed a black tiger in Odisha. Photographer Soumen Bajpayee captured them on film. Black tigers have only been identified in Similipal, Odisha, since 2007, regardless, they have been seen there since 1993. Artist James Forbes painted an all-black tiger in Kerala in 1773. It was the preliminary instance of spotting an all-black tiger. However, in Myanmar in 1913 and China in the 1950s, there were similar rumors.