Rare Marvels Unveiled: Black Tigers Stroll Majestically in Indian National Park
In a captivating encounter at the Nandankanan National Park in eastern India, the elusive and extremely rare ‘black’ tigers have been spotted, presenting a spectacle of unique beauty and genetic marvel. These stunning creatures, observed only in the Odisha state, were captured on camera by amateur photographer Satya Swagat, a business student from New Delhi, who was fortunate enough to witness the majestic animals up close last November.
The distinctive appearance of black tigers is attributed to a genetic mutation called pseudo-melanism. In this phenomenon, their dark stripe pattern fuses on light orange-golden fur, often rendering their pelts with an entirely black look. Satya Swagat, who was a mere 30 feet away from the majestic felines, described the moment as giving him “goosebumps” at the first sight of these rare animals.
In September, researchers studying the endangered animals in the Similipal reserve proposed that the genetic mutation in these black tigers may have resulted from a small founding population and subsequent inbreeding, isolating them from interactions with other tiger species outside the eastern Indian state.
