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Bruna Mentrup posted in the group Wildlife Photography
Prasenjeet Yadav captured this image of a tiger chewing on a cow carcass in Chandrapur, India, where there is a growing tiger population. This image appeared in the September 2025 story “The Curious Case of the Tigers Who Changed Their Stripes,” written by Yadav.
The story “The Curious Case of the Tigers Who Changed Their Stripes” in the September 2025 issue of National Geographic (or October 2025 issue cover story) focuses on the pseudo-melanistic, or “black,” tigers in the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha, India, not a tiger eating a cow in Chandrapur. The image of the tiger on a cow carcass was used in the story as an example of an image captured by Prasenjeet Yadav, but it was not the main subject of the story’s scientific findings.
Story Details
Location: The story and primary images, including the rare “black” tiger cover photo, were captured in the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha, India.
Subject: The article details a rare genetic mutation (pseudo-melanism) that causes the tigers’ black stripes to widen and merge, making their coat appear almost entirely black.
Scientific Finding: This unique appearance is a symptom of inbreeding due to the tigers’ isolation from other populations, which has limited their gene pool.
Conservation Effort: Forest managers and genetic scientists are working to introduce new tigers to the reserve to diversify the gene pool and prevent genetic collapse.
The specific image of a tiger chewing on a cow carcass was a separate photo taken by Yadav in Chandrapur that appeared in the story, but the story’s main focus was the unique genetic condition of the tigers in the Similipal ReservePRASENJEET YADAV, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
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Bruna Mentrup
TUTOR
I started my wildlife photography journey with nothing but a passion for capturing what I had seen unfold before me for years.
Determined I could achieve that, I set out with the most basic equipment, and eventually, my efforts were rewarded.
I, fortunately, love travel and being in my own company, so I spend months on the road in perfect partnership with the animals, great light, and the landscape. My confidence grew, and my images started to speak for themselves; so did my range of equipment, as did the awards.
My proudest moment was being made a Licentiate by the Photography Society of South Africa. I take so much pride in the steps I have taken, and it gives me such joy to see my work in magazines and hanging on walls of game lodges across Africa.
My philosophy is that anyone can acquire technical skills in photography. Still, you need heart, passion and a deep connection with what is around you to capture the finest of what Mother Nature has on offer.
