Baripada: A rare black tiger, also known as the Melanistic Tiger, was spotted by an amateur photographer Soumen Bajpayee at Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, the Times Now reported.
“Back then I didn’t have any idea about melanistic tigers. Then suddenly it appeared from the woods, stayed for a few seconds and walked back behind the trees. Initially, I didn’t even recognise what happened as I saw a completely different tiger,” Soumen was quoted as saying by Metro.
Melanistic black tigers in the world are found only in Simlipal. The Tiger Census had found eight tigers through camera traps and 12 using other data.
Also Read: Tiger Population Increases In India, Black Melanistic Tigers Found Only In Similipal
“These black tigers are unique because of the genetic constitution,” a wildlife expert and scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India Dr Bivash Pandav had earlier told TOI.
It is believed that inbreeding had resulted in their thick black stripes, the report added.
Almost after a gap of eight months, the Similipal National Park was opened for tourists on November 1. It saw 287 footfalls on day 1.
Also Read: Simlipal National Park In Odisha Reopens After 8 Months
