Explanation: Mayurbhanj District (Odisha) holds the major population of tigers within the state. Less than thirty tigers were surviving here in the year 1975.

• Sustainable protection measures and management initiatives have resurrected the dwindling population of tigers.
• Recent census of tigers conducted by the use of both pugmark and camera trap techniques in the year 2016 shows presence of 29 tigers.
• Similipal is the only place in the world that houses the source population of melanistic tigers.
• Most of the tigers from North Similipal are moving to south Similipal that remains a better habitat, and the leopards, more adaptable than the tiger, are appearing in most of the habitats vacated by the tiger.
• These observations suggest that Similipal habitat may be reaching the maximum carrying capacity for tiger.
• The future seems dependent on adjoining forests of Hadgarh and Kuldiha that are better known for being elephant habitats.

Source: https://wildlife.odisha.gov.in/projecttiger