An Incredibly Rare Black Tiger Has Been Spotted in India

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A melanistic tiger, also called a black tiger, is a rare color variant of tigers and isn’t a distinct species or subspecies. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this animal is incredibly beautiful and exotic. In history, there have been some reports of a true melanistic tiger that are completely black without stripes, and there’s even a painting that exists. However, most black tigers are partly black and it’s due to the non-agouti mutation, which refers to the ticking of every individual hair. In some light, the pattern still shows up because the background color isn’t as dense as the color of the markings.

Recently, an amateur photographer in India captured some photos of one of these magnificent beasts and shared them with the world. These black tigers can only be found in Odisha, India, as it turns out, and they’re very rare. So rare, in fact, that officials say that there are only about seven or eight of them left in the entire Indian state. Soumen Bajpayee is a photographer and animal lover who was able to get some excellent photos of the one he saw. The tiger in the photos shows thick black strips that have minimal space between them that obscures the orange fur. More than 70% of the world’s tiger population is found in the South Asian country.

Over the years, the melanistic black tigers have sharply declined in number. Dr. Bivash Pandav is the wildlife expert who estimates that these animals are on the brink of extinction. A scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, Pandave told the Times of India that the tigers are rare and unique because of their genetic makeup and they’re probably so unusual because of inbreeding.

Poaching is what has done the most damage to the tiger population because these beautiful creatures are hunted for their claws, bones, skin, and whiskers. The human population in the area is also decreasing the natural habitat of the big cats.