### Meet Prasenjeet Yadav: The Photographer Who Waited 119 Days for a Historic Glimpse of Similipal's Elusive Black Tiger
In a tale of unyielding patience and scientific curiosity, Indian photographer Prasenjeet Yadav etched his name in wildlife history by capturing the world's first direct-sighting photograph of a rare pseudo-melanistic black tiger in Odisha's Similipal Tiger Reserve. This groundbreaking image, featuring a 10-year-old male tiger named T12, graced the cover of *National Geographic*'s October 2025 issue, blending artistry with ecology to spotlight one of nature's most enigmatic creatures. For Yadav, it wasn't just a photo—it was the culmination of a 12-year dream, realized on the 119th day of an intense 120-day odyssey through dense jungles.
#### Who Is Prasenjeet Yadav?
Prasenjeet Yadav, a National Geographic Explorer based in India, transitioned from a career in molecular ecology research to wildlife photography, driven by a passion to merge science with storytelling. He's no stranger to high-stakes pursuits: Yadav has scaled Himalayan cliffs to document elusive snow leopards and collaborated with leading scientists like Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan on expeditions that uncover genetic secrets of endangered species. "I never saw stories as just stories … I also build them with data backed from active research," he shared, emphasizing his data-driven approach to conservation narratives.
#### The 119-Day Quest: A Journey of Stealth and Strategy
Yadav's mission began with a simple goal: immortalize the black tiger—a tiger with dramatically widened black stripes due to a rare recessive mutation—for a *National Geographic* feature on Similipal's unique ecosystem. But these tigers, found only in this isolated 2,750 sq km reserve (home to about 30 tigers, nearly half melanistic), proved maddeningly elusive. Unlike typical tigers, which are curious toward humans, black tigers are hyper-skittish, detecting scents from afar and steering clear of trails.
Here's how Yadav's 120-day grind unfolded:
| Phase | Duration | Key Actions & Challenges |
|-------|----------|--------------------------|
| **Preparation & Initial Setup** | First 1-2 Months | Deployed over 12 camera traps off-trail, informed by local knowledge. Tigers outsmarted traps for weeks; only normal tigers appeared in footage. Collaborated with forest staff like Raghu Purti for logistics and intel. |
| **Tracking & Adaptation** | Months 2-4 | Relocated traps every 15-18 days based on scent-marked trees and tiger movements. Carried a Nikon Z 9 with 400mm lens daily, waiting in ambush. Vast terrain and shy behavior meant rare sightings—tigers passed trails once every two weeks. |
| **The Breakthrough** | Day 119 (Second-to-Last Day) | Captured a single, perfect frame of T12 mid-stride in dappled light. "At no point I ever thought that I would get [the] photo that we have... this is Similipal’s blessing to me. It has seen me work hard for [the] last 120 days," Yadav reflected. |
The process demanded not just endurance but innovation: Yadav hid most cameras in unexpected spots while leaving decoys on trails, drawing from his snow leopard hunts where patience trumps pursuit. "Tigers are generally not very camera shy. They’re usually more curious than scared," he noted, contrasting the black tigers' wariness.
#### Why It Matters: A Genetic Marvel Under Threat
Similipal's black tigers aren't truly black but pseudo-melanistic, their stripes so dense they create a shadowy illusion— a mutation unique to this reserve due to inbreeding in its isolated population. Yadav's photo doesn't just dazzle; it underscores conservation urgency. With genetic diversity at risk from the reserve's remoteness, his work amplifies calls for corridors linking Similipal to other habitats, ensuring these "tigers who changed their stripes" endure. As Yadav put it, "Here was a hook in my mouth wanting to get a cover story and if I wouldn't have gotten this one, I would've spent another 10 years trying to get it."
This isn't Yadav's first brush with the extraordinary, but it's a milestone for Indian wildlife photography—few desis have claimed a Nat Geo cover. His story reminds us that behind every iconic image lies sweat, science, and a deep respect for the wild. What's the most inspiring wildlife tale you've come across lately?
Prasenjeet Yadav spent four months in Odisha jungles to capture the rare black tiger on right (Photo: Instagram/prasen.yadav)
The striking black tiger that graces the October 2025 cover of National Geographic was captured by Indian photographer and former molecular ecologist Prasenjeet Yadav in a rare and unprecedented achievement. His 120-day pursuit in Odisha’s Similipal brought the world’s attention to a tiger unseen for centuries, marking the first time in the magazine’s history that an Indian story has been written, photographed, and featured on the cover by an Indian.
