In the dense forests of Odisha’s Simlipal National Park, where mystery often outweighs visibility, Indian photographer Prasenjeet Yadav has done what no one else in the world has managed before — Yadav captured the first-ever direct sighting photograph of a black tiger. The image, now on the cover of National Geographic magazine, is more than just a visual triumph; it is the result of 119 relentless days of patience, stealth and near-impossible tracking.
For Yadav, who has braved Himalayan cliffs in pursuit of snow leopards, this encounter proved uniquely daunting. Unlike their more familiar cousins, these pseudo-melanistic tigers are shy, skittish and known to sense human presence from afar. Each fleeting glimpse was a battle with time, terrain and temperament until history was finally etched through his lens.
Yadav was part of a National Geographic expedition led by Dr Uma Ramakrishnan that aimed to explain why these big cats were called the black tigers.
As a part of the National Geographic team, Yadav spent more than three months tracking and observing the tiger, carefully learning its movement patterns and behaviour. Despite having a good deal of experience photographing Snow Leopards, Yadav struggled to capture a picture of India’s elusive black tigers. In an interview with the magazine, he revealed that it took him 119 days to get his first photograph of the captivating creature.
Yadav on the process of capturing the ‘black tiger’’
In the interview, Yadav revealed that while he had initially set off for the expedition with a great deal of confidence, he soon realised that he might not be up to the challenge. “Tigers are generally not very camera shy. They’re usually more curious than scared.” Yadav told NatGeo.
He later understood that these black tigers were extremely shy creatures, which made them incredibly hard to spot. “These black tigers were consistently staying away from my camera traps because they were more skittish and could smell human presence. It took me two months of tracking before I could spot even one of them,” he added.
Black tigers, also known as pseudo-melanistic tigers, have unusual dark stripes caused by a rare genetic mutation. As per the magazine, Simlipal National Park in Odisha serves as the only home to all the Black Tigers in the world. Similipal is home to around 30 tigers, and nearly half of them carry this unique colouring, making every sighting extraordinary.
Yadav on his experience at the national park in Odisha
India reached a proud milestone on the global stage with a photograph of its rare black tiger making the cover of National Geographic magazine. Very few Indian photographers have earned a place on a National Geographic cover, making this moment even more special. Speaking about the achievement, Yadav described the experience as both intense and humbling.
Yadav further expressed his gratitude to the Odisha Forest Department for their support throughout the length of his expedition. ” I am the one in the field taking the photos, but it’s not a one-person job. I had a big team to start with, the most important was the local field team, like Raghu Purti, who is a man of a few words but extremely sharp about the forest. I think we both learned a lot from each other—me more from him, because he knew the forest better than anyone. The Odisha forest department and forest officers played an instrumental role in helping me make this capture,” Yadav concluded.
