Bhubaneswar, June 4 -- Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district has received a major conservation boost, with officials reporting on Thursday the birth of 16 tiger cubs over the past year. In another encouraging development, forest authorities have, for the first time, captured a rare image of four tigers together in the wild - a melanistic tigress and her three cubs.

The remarkable photographs, recently shared by Similipal authorities on their official social media platform X, show the melanistic tigress identified as T-20 moving through the dense forests of the reserve with her three cubs. Wildlife officials described the sighting as a significant milestone for tiger conservation in the region and an indication of a healthy...