Royal Bengal Tiger sighting boosts tiger reserve proposal in Odisha

Forest officials in the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha, India, identified a Royal Bengal Tiger through camera traps and patrols.

The animal likely entered the sanctuary from the neighboring state of Chhattisgarh through a forest corridor. This sighting occurs in a region the state government wants to establish as a tiger reserve to house big cats relocated from central India.

Anshu Pragyan Das, the divisional forest officer of the Hirakud Wildlife Division, confirmed that teams are now monitoring the tiger around the clock. Officials deployed 100 trap cameras and 27 patrolling teams to track the animal's movements and ensure its safety. Authorities plan to share images of the tiger with the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India to identify its source based on its stripe pattern.

Wildlife experts believe the sanctuary's population of prey, including wild boar and spotted deer, makes the area a viable habitat for tigers. While this is the second tiger sighting in the sanctuary in four years, experts remain uncertain if the cat will stay permanently, as sub-adult males often move to find mates. The Odisha government already received an in-principle nod in 2023 to declare the 804 sq/km area as a tiger reserve.