The photograph of a melanistic tiger cub from Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve triggered a wave of jubilation last week. From top political leaders to forest officers, there was a flood of congratulatory messages. The reason was that the young tiger with a striking dark pelt adorned the cover of an international wildlife magazine—a feature rare for this part of the country. However, pseudomelanistic tigers are not rare, thanks to the mutation of a particular gene. Over 30 years back, L A K Singh, a state research officer, had officially documented what is colloquially called a black tiger. Half a decade ago, a team headed by scientists from Bengaluru’s National Centre for Biological Sciences decoded the gene responsible for the anomalous phenotype.
So was the celebration over-the-top? Not exactly, because it shines the spotlight on the state’s big fauna on a big stage. However, the big picture must not be missed. The mutation could be caused by the isolated nature of the tiger population in Similipal, one of India’s earliest reserves notified way back in 1973. It points to excessive inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. Much of it was elucidated in the research that called for ‘genetic rescue’—the reason the National Tiger Conservation Authority suggested bringing over tigers from other parts to Similipal. Last year, the government enumerated 30 tigers in the state—27 were from Similipal, of which 13 were pseudomelanistic.
A healthy tiger population is not just good news for the forest ecosystem; it also drives tourism. In central, western and northern states, tigers have brought in waves of ecotourism activities. Odisha for long missed the bus because of its unimpressive count and reluctance to experiment. After being nudged by the authority, the state translocated two females from the Tadoba-Andhari reserve. More such actions must be taken up. At present, Odisha has two notified reserves with Satkosia devoid of tigers, having suffered a failed reintroduction in 2018. No new reserve has been added in the last 18 years. The Sunabeda sanctuary was given in-principle consent by the Centre in 2008, but its fate hangs in balance. Another proposal to develop Debrigarh sanctuary in western Odisha should be fast-tracked. Instead of basking in melanistic glory, the government must go for experiments. Tiger supplementation involves risk, but it’s one worth taking.