4 rare melanistic tigers caught on camera in Odisha forest, delight internet

At least four rare pseudo-melanistic tigers were caught on camera in an Odisha forest. Odisha Principal Chief Conservator Of Forest (PCCF) Susanta Nanda, known for sharing fascinating pictures, videos, and facts about wildlife, recently took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share a video of the extraordinary tigers.

Sharing the video on X, Nanda wrote, “Nature never fails to surprise us. This is one of the rarest of the rare… A complete Pseudo melanistic tiger family from the forests of Odisha😌”

Hidden cameras installed by the forest department captured the stunning view of the rare tigers. Animal lovers were delighted after Nanda shared the video online. Social media users are in love with the sight as the video has been gaining a lot of traction online.

Nature never fails to surprise us. This is one of the rarest of the rare…
A complete Pseudo melanistic tiger family from the forests of Odisha😌 pic.twitter.com/SQx6dQo3sD

— Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) January 7, 2024

While Nanda did not mention the forest where the tigers were spotted, social media users assume it to be from Similipal Tiger Reserve.

“Wow! This is unbelievable! How cool! I can't believe my eyes! 🌟 #wow,” a user wrote.

Another user commented, “It would be a treat to the eyes to spot them at their own habitat.”

“Majestic, nostalgic view this is…” wrote another user.

For the unversed, the melanistic tigers are a rare gene pool on which the black stripes are far more prominent than the Royal Bengal Tigers. Interestingly, they are only found in Odisha. They are referred to as ‘black tigers’ due to their dense and dark stripes.