The launch of an exclusive melancholic tiger safari in Odisha is good news for lovers of wildlife. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister of Odisha.
Patnaik announced that Odisha is establishing an exclusive melancholic tiger safari close to Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj on his official X (Formerly Twitter) handle.
“Visitors and tourists can now catch a glimpse of the majestic and rare species found only in Odisha,” Patnaik wrote on social media.
Situated on 200 hectares of land, the melancholic tiger safari will be the first of its kind worldwide. The remaining land will be used to build veterinary care facilities, including a rescue centre, staff infrastructure, and visitor amenities. Approximately 100 hectares will be used as a display area.
According to a government release, the proposed melanistic tiger safari site is approximately 15 km away from Similipal Tiger Reserve and shares a similar landscape.
The world’s only natural habitat for melanistic tigers is Similipal Tiger Reserve. Only Similipal Tiger Reserve has been home to melanistic tigers in the wild, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) 2018 All India Tiger Estimation Report.
Senior officials have advised that tigers from the Nandankanan Zoo that are surplus and rescued/orphaned tigers that are suitable for display but not suitable for the wild will be kept in an open enclosure within the safari.
“In this regard, the Technical Committee of NTCA has granted “in-principle” approval to the proposal that the Odisha Government submitted to NTCA. Before the Authority gives its final approval, a committee that will be appointed by the NTCA will visit the site to conduct a feasibility study.
