India's Rare Black Tiger Debuts On National Geographic Cover: Meet Photographer Prasenjeet Yadav

(MENAFN- Live Mint) For its October 2025 edition, National Geographic has selected a breathtaking cover photo from India. This time, a rare black tiger from Odisha 's Similipal National Park, captured by Indian photographer Prasenjeet Yadav, has made it to the prestigious wildlife magazine cover.

India's rare black tiger debuts on National Geographic cover

The photograph is not just visually striking but also a labour of love and patience, which took months of relentless effort, as Yadav tracked the big cat deep within Similipal's dense forests. Unlike regular tigers, these black tigers, known as pseudo-melanistic tigers, display bold, overlapping stripes that give them their unusual dark appearance.

What makes the photograph even more extraordinary is the photographer's ability to spot the subject. Black tigers are found only in Similipal, and nearly half of the 30 tigers in the reserve carry the unique genetic mutation responsible for their distinctive coat.

Meet Prasenjeet Yadav

Prasenjeet Yadav is a molecular ecologist turned National Geographic Photographer and Explorer. A master's graduate in molecular biology, he left research to use photography as a bridge between science and society, shedding light on climate change in the Himalayas, the ecological impact of wind energy, and species evolution in the Western Ghats.

He is also the founder of the initiative Shoot for Science.

Talking about his recent achievement, Yadav said in a statement, "Being out in the forests of Similipal as a National Geographic photographer and Explorer has been a true privilege. I saw firsthand the Odisha Forest Department's dedicated, on-ground management and the commitment of its officers to safeguarding the future of these majestic tigers.

“Photographing T12 was intense and humbling, with days and months of patience distilled into a single moment. Now to see that story on a National Geographic Magazine's international cover is an honour and a reminder of why we document India's extraordinary wild heart.”

Meanwhile, National Geographic editor-in-chief Nathan Lump added,“The subject of this month's cover feature, from photographer, writer, and National Geographic Explorer, Prasenjeet Yadav, is a surprising corollary to that success story: the tale of a great male tiger with a rare genetic mutation, which has highlighted what happens when an animal population rebounds but remains sequestered in a reserve, without access to a diverse gene pool.”

The honour places Yadav among the select group of Indian photographers whose work has been recognised by the magazine's cover in its 135-year illustrious history.

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