Forest officials in Odisha's Similipal Tiger Reserve have arrested three individuals for poaching a rare melanistic (black) Royal Bengal tiger cub. The authorities seized the tiger skin while a deal was being negotiated in the Basipitha area. The accused, identified as residents of Mayurbhanj district, were caught with three motorcycles and mobile phones. This incident marks another blow to the rare black tiger population, which is found only in Similipal. Previous poaching cases were reported in 2025 and 2026, raising concerns among environmentalists about the safety of the remaining 20 black tigers. https://sambad.in/state/rare-black-tiger-poaching-in-similipal-forest-department-arrests-3-accused-11859592 #creator program