Black tiger skin seized in Similipal
Baripada: The Odisha Forest department has arrested nine persons and seized the skin of a rare melanistic tiger during a crackdown in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR). The arrests and seizure were made on Sunday by the special enforcement wing of the Forest department and STR at Kuliana village, Baripada DFO Govind Chandra Biswal said.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from Baripada Forest Division seized the melanistic tiger skin from two persons, while carrying out a raid, he said. "During further investigation, another seven persons were arrested," he added.
He said the melanistic tiger, aged around three years, was killed in Similipal Tiger Reserve about a month ago. The reserve is the only place in India where melanistic Royal Bengal tigers are found.
This was the second seizure of a melanistic tiger skin in the last two years from the fringe areas of the Similipal Tiger Reserve, officials said. A melanistic tiger, often called a black tiger, is a rare colour variation of the Bengal tiger caused by a genetic mutation (pseudo-melanism) that produces thick, dense black stripes covering much of their orange coat, rather than a solid black appearance.
The recurring poaching has raised serious questions regarding the effectiveness of Similipal’s protection and AI-integrated surveillance cameras intended to deter intruders.
With only an estimated 13 melanistic tigers remaining in the wild as of 2024, conservationists warn that such losses are a severe blow to global biodiversity.
The previous major seizure of a melanistic tiger skin in the Similipal Tiger Reserve occurred on January 12, 2025. This case was notably similar to the March 2026 incident, involving a sub-adult tiger and suspects from local fringe villages.
