In a thrilling turn of events, Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) recently witnessed an awe-inspiring encounter with the rarest of its kind – a golden tiger. The elusive adult male Bengal tiger, with its striking golden morph, was captured on camera after three years of tantalizingly elusive sightings, leaving the world in awe of its mesmerizing beauty.
The extraordinary moment unfolded during a private photo tour led by 25-year-old Gaurav Ramnarayanan, a Coimbatore-based tourism professional. Guiding two Australian tourists through the western side of the park’s Bagori range, the group heard warning sounds from barking deer. Tour guide Buddheshwar Konwar spotted the elusive golden tiger from a distance, and to their amazement, the majestic creature gradually approached, eventually coming within 60 to 70 meters of the group.
Thrilled by the encounter, Gaurav Ramnarayanan continuously captured photographs, describing the experience as truly thrilling and unforgettable. As the proprietor of a travel company, Gaurav expressed his luck in witnessing this rare occurrence, emphasizing that despite previous visits to Kaziranga, 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. 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 a result of color aberration due to excessive inbreeding, Ghosh clarified 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. While the golden tiger’s appearance raises questions about the conservation and genetic diversity of tigers in the wild, ongoing research and observations in Kaziranga National Park provide valuable insights into the fascinating world of these elusive and captivating creatures.
This rare encounter serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of wildlife conservation and the need to protect the diverse and unique species that inhabit our planet, ensuring that future generations can also marvel at the wonders of the natural world.
