Odisha is set to unveil the world’s first melanistic tiger safari near the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR).
Odisha’s Vision for the Melanistic Tiger Safari
- Melanism and Melanistic Tiger: Melanism is a genetic condition, that results in increased melanin production, leading to black or nearly black skin, feathers, or hair in animals.
- The Royal Bengal Tigers of Similipal boast a distinctive lineage with elevated melanin levels, giving rise to black and yellow interspersed stripes, making them pseudo-melanistic.
- According to the All India Tiger Estimation, 2022, Similipal Tiger Reserve houses 16 tigers, with 10 of them displaying melanistic traits.
- Location of Safari: Spanning approximately 200 hectares near Dhanbad-Balasore National Highway-18, the safari site lies in close proximity to STR, providing a landscape akin to Simlipal.
- In the beginning, three melanistic tigers from Nandankanan Zoo, along with rescued or orphaned tigers, will occupy the open enclosures of the safari.
- Objective: It aims to raise awareness about the conservation needs of melanistic tigers, providing a platform for researchers and enthusiasts to engage with these rare big cats.
- Approval: The project necessitates approvals from the Central Zoo Authority and other regulatory bodies overseeing wildlife initiatives in the country.
- A National Tiger Conservation Authority committee will also conduct a feasibility study of the proposed site before granting final clearance.
Other Colour Variations in Tigers
- Orange with Black or Brown Stripes: This is the most common and widely recognized tiger coloration, e.g, the Royal Bengal Tiger.Each tiger’s stripe pattern is unique, serving as a form of camouflage, in their natural habitat.
- White Tigers: They are not considered a separate subspecies. The colour of the white tiger’s fur is the result of a genetic mutation called leucism.Leucism is a genetic condition that results in reduced pigmentation in animals, causing them to have white or pale-colored skin, feathers, fur, or scales.
- Golden Tigers: They are also not considered a subspecies of tigers because their golden colour variation is caused by the presence of a recessive gene called “wideband”.The wideband gene reduces melanin production during the cycle of hair growth.Recently, it was spotted in Kaziranga National Park.
Similipal Tiger Reserve
- Location: Similipal is situated in the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone.
- Vegetation: Predominantly moist mixed deciduous forest with tropical semi-evergreen patches and sporadic dry deciduous forests and grasslands.
- Floral Richness: Holds 7% of India’s flowering plants and 8% of its orchid species.
- Faunal Diversity: Home to 55 mammal species, 361 bird species, 62 reptile species, 21 amphibian species, and numerous insects and microfauna.
- Major species other than tigers include sambar, chital, barking deer, gaur, and mouse deer, leopards, fishing cat etc.
- Management efforts have revived mugger crocodile populations along rivers Khairi and Deo.
- It has also been designated as a Global Network of Biospheres site since 2009.