Some have applauded the move; others dislike the idea of putting the rare felids on display in enclosures
A rare black (melanistic) tiger in the forests of Odisha's Similipal Tiger Reserve. Photo provided by Hrusikesh Mohanty There have been mixed reactions from wildlife experts and activists after the Odisha government decided to set up a black tiger safari, the first of its kind in the world, near the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district.
Lala A K Singh, an expert on the black tigers of Similipal, said the creation of a safari meant putting the big cats in an enclosed space. “This will be an attraction for visitors,” he said.
Biswajit Mohanty, former member of the National Board for Wildlife, however disliked the idea of putting such rare felids in enclosures by creating a safari. “They are free-roaming wildlife. Visitors to STR can already witness and enjoy seeing melanistic tigers, wild and free,” he said.
Black tigers are not a separate subspecies. They are Bengal tigers with a gene mutation, which gives them their distinctive dark stripe patterns.
They have been recorded in the wild only in STR, according to the India Tiger Estimation Report published by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2018. STR has the highest number of black tiger sightings in the world.
The cats, called ‘pseudo-melanistic’ or ‘false-coloured’, were officially recorded for the first time in the forests of Similipal during 1975-76. That is when forest officials, along with two foreign tourists, saw two full-grown black tigers on the road leading to the Matughar meadow on a bright winter day, according to Singh.
“The subject came to acquire a scientific foothold when a melanistic tiger got killed in self-defence in July 1993,” Singh said in his book titled Born Black: The Melanistic Tiger in India.
A black tiger in Similipal. Photo provided by Hrusikesh Mohanty
There are 10 black tigers in India and all are found exclusively in Odisha’s STR, Union Minister of state for environment, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, had said in the Rajya Sabha in December last year.
“As per the 2022 cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation, 16 individuals were recorded at STR, of which 10 were melanistic,” said the minister in response to a parliamentary question. Based on genetic composition, the STR has been identified as a ‘distinct genetic cluster’ for conservation, he said.
The Odisha government will set up an exclusive melanistic tiger safari near the STR in Mayurbhanj district, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced on January 24, 2024.
“Glad to announce that Odisha is setting up an exclusive Melanistic Tiger Safari near Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj. Tourists and visitors can now have a glimpse of the rare and majestic species found only in Odisha,” the chief minister had said on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
It will be the first of its kind in the world, a government statement claimed.
A proposal in this respect submitted by the state government to NTCA has been accorded “in-principle” approval by the Authority’s Technical Committee, said Sushant Nanda, principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) of Odisha.
He said a committee, to be constituted by NTCA, will visit the identified site for a feasibility study. The Authority will give a final nod to the Odisha government to develop the safari upon the submission of the committee’s report. Other statutory clearance procedure — including Central Zoo Authority approval — would be followed, Nanda said.
The state government has identified about 200 hectares adjoining National Highway 18 for the establishment of the proposed safari, said a senior officer of the government’s Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department.
About 100 hectares will be a ‘display area’. The other 100 hectares shall be utilised for the creation of veterinary care facilities including rescue centre, staff infrastructure, visitor amenities, etc. The site is about 15 km from STR and has the same landscape, said the government statement.
Surplus tigers from Nandankanan Zoo, Bhubaneswar and rescued and orphaned tigers who are not fit for the wild but fit for display, will be housed in the safari in an open enclosure. The safari is set to elevate the wildlife tourism sector in Odisha to new heights, said Nanda.
This will highlight the state’s commitment to preservation and showcasing its unique biodiversity. This initiative will allow conservationists, researchers and enthusiasts and the general public to witness the rare beauty of these majestic creatures up close, while raising awareness about their conservation needs, claimed the government.
The site, being located near the National Highway and near to Baripada town, is expected to receive impressive visitor footfalls. Further, it would be an added attraction for visitors coming to STR.
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