Central Zoo Authority Approves World’s First Melanistic Tiger Safari at Similipal

Bhubaneswar: The Central Zoo Authority has greenlit the development of the world’s first melanistic tiger safari at Similipal Tiger Reserve. This groundbreaking announcement was made by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife in Odisha, Susanta Nanda, on Monday, in conjunction with International Tiger Day celebrations.

The proposed safari, which will span 100 acres at Manjiapada in Baripada, was initially unveiled by the then Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, in January. The unique habitat, designed exclusively for pseudo-melanistic tigers—distinguished by their broader and thicker black stripes compared to other tigers worldwide—is anticipated to open to the public by October this year.

Nanda took to social media platform X to underscore the significance of this initiative, stating, “Tigers are roaring back in Similipal Tiger Reserve — the one and only place in the world to host the famed wild melanistic tigers. Let’s protect our gem. Odisha forests were and are a sink to source populations from MP and Maharashtra. Let’s protect the corridors for them to populate.”

He further emphasized the importance of Odisha’s forests as a critical corridor for tiger populations, recounting a 2013 incident when a tiger named Nandan traveled from Satkosia to Nandankanan Zoo on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar in search of a mate. Genetic studies have since confirmed Nandan’s origins in the central Indian landscape.