Three melanistic tiger cubs born in Similipal
"A camera trap grab showed one of the cubs moving with the mother T-20. It is a clear picture, although there are multiple grabs that are not that clear," chief wildlife warden Prem Kumar Jha said. All three cubs are melanistic, he added.
According to Jha, the birth of the cubs yet again signals Similipal's robustness in terms of habitat management and protection mechanisms. "More good news may come in August if tigress Zeenat gives birth since there is evidence of it mating with T-12," Jha said.
Wildlife officials said because of height, a cub takes a while before it can be captured in camera traps. "The cubs are now four-five months old and have reached a certain height to be visible in camera traps," said a wildlife official.
Similipal authorities declined to divulge the location where the mother and cub were captured, but said it was in the core areas. "We have altogether 32 adult tigers in Similipal," the official added.
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Earlier, six cubs, which are now around eight months old, were detected in camera traps. "Two cubs each were born to T-10, T-17 and T-37 last Nov. Including them, the reserve now has nine cubs, out of which six are melanistic," said a wildlife official.
In Feb 2024, the all-Odisha tiger census report released by the govt pegged the big cat count at 30, up from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)'s estimation of 20 tigers as per the 2021-22 census.
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