Changing stripes: How genomics can reshape wildlife conservation

In a DNA sequence, an individual carries two copies of the genetic material – one from the mother, one from father. If one is damaged, the other copy is used.

A combined effort of scientists and the Odisha forest department has just saved Similipal’s tigers from inbreeding depression. Is genetic rescue a new way to conserve wildlife?

Wildlife across the world have become fragmented, leading to inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity among local populations – which remains an ongoing concern. (Shutterstock)

A few years ago, the elusive tigers of Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha started to change their stripes. The coat on their backs became darker, a condition locals call a black tiger and scientists call pseudo-melanism.

To try and understand what was happening, the forest department brought in Dr Uma Ramakrishnan, a molecular