If you go through the social media, you can see the buzz surrounding Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), where the rarest golden tiger, an adult male Bengal tiger with the golden morph, was recently captured on camera after three years of elusive sightings.
If reports are to go by, this fortunate encounter took place during a private photo tour led by 25-year-old Gaurav Ramnarayanan, a Coimbatore-based tourism professional, who was guiding two Australian tourists through the western side of the park’s Bagori range.
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The extraordinary moment unfolded around 4 PM when the group heard warning sounds from barking deers. The tour guide, Buddheshwar Konwar, spotted the elusive golden tiger from a distance of 600 to 700 m. The tiger, displaying its rare golden coat, gradually approached the group, eventually coming within 60 to 70 m. Gaurav Ramnarayanan, thrilled by the encounter, continuously captured photographs, describing the experience as truly thrilling and unforgettable.
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Gaurav, the proprietor of a travel company, expressed his luck in witnessing this rare occurrence, stressing further that although he had visited Kaziranga before, this marked his first glimpse of the elusive golden tiger.
Sonali Ghosh, the director of the park, revealed that the golden phenotype, a rare recessive trait in Bengal tigers, had not been spotted in the park for three years. The park authorities are actively investigating this unique trait through non-invasive scat sampling and DNA mapping conducted by scientists at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, led by Prof. Uma Ramakrishnan and her team.
Contrary to a previous sighting in July 2020, where experts deemed the golden coloration as a result of color aberration due to excessive inbreeding, Ghosh added that linking inbreeding to genetic variation is far-fetched. She explained that diverse forms of pigmentation phenotypes are common in various species, driven by evolutionary forces such as selection and random genetic drift.
Assam’s Chief Minister took to social media to share the photograph of the majestic golden tiger, echoing the sentiment of awe and appreciation for the rare and captivating sighting.
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While the golden tiger’s appearance raises questions about the conservation and genetic diversity of tigers in the wild, the ongoing research and observations in Kaziranga National Park provide valuable insights into the fascinating world of these elusive and captivating creatures.