In Rare Sighting, Black Tiger Spotted In Odisha's Similipal National Park
The clip was posted by Indian Forest Service Officer Susanta Nanda. He wrote in the caption, "Sharing an interesting clip of a rare melanistic tiger marking its territory on international Tigers day."
In a rare sighting, a majestic black tiger was spotted in Odisha's Similipal National Park. The tiger was seen marking its territory, leaving scratch marks on a tree in the 15-second clip posted on Twitter on the occasion of International Tigers Day.
The clip was posted by Indian Forest Service Officer Susanta Nanda. He wrote in the caption, "Sharing an interesting clip of a rare melanistic tiger marking its territory on international Tigers day."
Tigers are symbol of sustainability of India¡¯s forests¡
¡ª Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) July 29, 2022
Sharing an interesting clip of a rare melanistic tiger marking its territory on international Tigers day.
From a Tiger Reserve poised for recovery of an isolated source population with a very unique gene pool. Kudos?? pic.twitter.com/FiCIuO8Qj4
The officer, who is known to share interesting wildlife videos on Twitter, said the black tigers have a unique gene pool and the tiger reserve is poised for a recovery in their numbers.
About black tigers
Only been captured in Similipal till date, Black tigers are not an specific species but a colour variant of the usually orange tiger. The creatures - known as melanistic tigers - are born with thick black stripes that cover their orange fur, making them appear completely black in some instances.
File
There are known to be just six such black tigers on the planet. The most recent sightings of this rare mutant tiger in Similipal, long considered mythical, was reported in 2017 and 2018.
Why are they black?
And, the reason behind the majestic black stripes of melanistic tigers is mutation. They are Bengal tigers with a single base mutation in a particular gene. This mutation causes the tigers' distinctive black stripes to enlarge and spread into the orange background. Different mutations in this particular gene cause identical changes in the coat colour of other species of cats including cheetahs.
Google Maps
A team led by ecologist Dr Uma Ramakrishnan and her student Vinay Sagar from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore, were behind the discovery that the coat colouration and patterning make the wild cats appear dark.
For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.
Senior Writer at Indiatimes. She writes on Lifestyle, fashion, beauty, astrology and health.
