Black Tiger

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: Death of rare black tiger in Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve will have big impact on population.

More on the News:

The death of a rare black tiger reported after three decades in the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district could have a big impact on the population of the animals.
The carcass of the melanistic male big cat was found in the core areas of the reserve. Forest officials said it died due to a territorial fight with another male.

Black Tiger:

They are a rare colour variant of the tiger and are not a distinct species or geographic subspecies.
The abnormally dark or black coat in such tigers is termed pseudomelanistic or false coloured.
The only other black tigers outside of Similipal in India exist at the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, Ranchi Zoo and Chennai’s Arignar Anna Zoological Park.
Simlipal has the world’s highest rate of black tiger sightings in the world. The reserve had last reported eight tigers, according to the Tiger Status Report 2018.
The tigers in the Similipal Tiger Reserve are an isolated population in eastern India and gene flow between them and other tiger populations is very restricted.

Simplipal Tiger Reserve

Similipal National Park is a national park and a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha covering 2,750 km2 (1,060 sq mi).
It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas — Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary.
Simlipal National Park derives its name from the abundance of red silk cotton trees growing in the area.
This protected area is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.
Simlipal Elephant Reserve is an ecosystem complete with forest vegetation (mainly sal trees), fauna and the adjoining Ho / Santhal tribal settlements.
Two tribes, the Erenga Kharias and the Mankirdias, inhabit the reserve’s forests and practise traditional agricultural activities (the collection of seeds and timber).