President to visit Similipal Tiger Reserve: The fascinating story of its black tigers
Explore the science of the world's only black tigers in Similipal during President Droupadi Murmu's historic visit. Learn about the rare genetic mutation and current population.
Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha, also known as Similipal National Park, has captured national attention as President Droupadi Murmu begins a landmark visit to the world's only home to wild melanistic (black) tigers.
President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to spend Friday night, February 6, 2026, at the Gudgudia guesthouse, located deep within the core area of the park.
This marks the first time a serving President of India will stay overnight in this high-security tiger habitat, situated in her home district of Mayurbhanj, Odisha. The visit highlights Similipal’s status as a unique ecological treasure, being the only place on the planet where "black" tigers roam the wild.
This historic stay coincides with the ongoing tiger estimation cycle, bringing global focus to the conservation success of the state.
The All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) cycle is the world’s largest wildlife health check-up. It is a massive, nationwide exercise conducted every four years to count India’s tigers and assess the health of their forest homes.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE THESE MYSTERIOUS BLACK TIGERS?
These animals are not a separate species but a rare colour variant of the Royal Bengal Tiger. Known technically as pseudo-melanistic tigers, they carry a genetic trait that causes their black stripes to broaden and eventually fuse together.
This creates an appearance where the tiger looks almost entirely black, with only small patches of tawny orange, a warm, brownish-orange colour resembling tanned leather, peeking through the dark coat.
Unlike the solid black coats of melanistic leopards, these tigers retain their pattern, just in a heavily distorted and darkened form. They are a biological marvel that exists exclusively in this specific pocket of eastern India.
WHAT IS THE SCIENCE BEHIND THEIR GENETIC MUTATION?
The secret to this dark coat lies in a mutation of the Taqpep (Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q) gene. Research conducted by the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) found that a single change in the DNA sequence disrupts the protein that regulates stripe patterns.
This is a recessive trait, meaning a cub only displays this dark coat if both parents pass down the mutated gene. Interestingly, the same gene is responsible for the unique "king" pattern seen in certain cheetahs, proving a deep evolutionary link in how feline coat patterns are formed during embryogenesis.
The "king" pattern is a rare genetic phenomenon where a big cat’s standard spots or stripes become dramatically thickened and merged, creating a "smeared ink" appearance across the coat.
WHY ARE THEY SO RARE AND WHAT IS THEIR POPULATION?
These tigers are extremely rare because they only flourish in genetic islands like Similipal. Due to habitat fragmentation, the tigers here have been isolated from other populations, leading to high levels of inbreeding.
While this sounds negative, it has caused the frequency of the rare Taqpep mutation to rise to about 37 per cent within this specific cluster. According to recent census estimates, the reserve currently hosts around 40 tigers, with a significant portion exhibiting this pseudo-melanistic trait.
They remain rare because the specific conditions of isolation and dense forest canopy required for this mutation to persist are found nowhere else in the wild.