Black Panther in Achanakmar Tiger Reserve

• 01 Aug 2024

Why in News?

Recently, a rare black panther has been sighted in the Achanakmar tiger reserve (ATR) in Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• The presence of the black panther in ATR was confirmed during the tiger census in 2022.
• The fourth phase of survey for the tiger count in the ATR has indicated the presence of ten tigers in the reserve forest, seven females and three males.

Black Panther

• About:
  • Leopards (Panthera Pardus) are either light colored (pale yellow to deep gold or tawny) with black rosettes or with black fur.
  • The melanistic leopards, which are either all-black or very dark in coloration, are known as black panthers. It is a color variant of spotted Indian leopards, reported from densely forested areas of south India.
  • Black coat coloration is attributed to the expression of recessive alleles in leopards and dominant alleles in jaguars. In each species, a certain combination of alleles stimulates the production of large amounts of the dark pigment melanin (Melanism) in the animal’s fur and skin.
    • The appearance of a black coat may be influenced by other factors, such as the angle of incident light and the animal’s life stage.
• Habitat:
  • They are mainly in Southwestern China, Burma, Nepal, Southern India, Indonesia, and the southern part of Malaysia.
  • In India they can be spotted in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra etc.
• Threats:
  • Habitat loss.
  • Collision with vehicles.
  • Diseases.
  • Human encroachment.
  • Poaching.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Achanakmar Tiger Reserve

• It is situated in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh. Established in 1975 and was declared a tiger reserve in 2009.
• It is part of the huge Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve.
• It has a corridor connecting Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and plays a critical role in the dispersal of tigers among these reserves.
• River:
  • The Maniyari River flows right from the centre of this reserve, which is the forest's lifeline.
• Tribe:
  • It is home to the Baigas, a forest-dwelling tribal community classified as a “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)”.
  • In 626 hectares of the core area of the reserve, there are 25 forest villages, with approximately 75% of the population belonging to the Baiga tribe.
• Vegetation:
  • Tropical moist deciduous vegetation covers the majority of the area.
• Flora:
  • Sal, bija, saja, haldu, teak, tinsa, dhawara, lendia, khamar, and bamboo bloom along with other 600 species of medicinal plants.
• Fauna:
  • It includes the tiger, leopard, bison, flying squirrel, Indian giant squirrel, chinkara, wild dog, hyena, sambar, chital, and over 150 species of birds.