SAMBALPUR: Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary’s newest striped visitor appears to be settling into the forest landscape as the male tiger not only explored the tourism zone but also made its first confirmed kill in the protected area.
On Monday late afternoon, the tiger ventured into the tourism zone of Debrigarh while exploring the habitat. The big cat was sighted by tourists travelling in four safari vehicles with around 40 visitors getting an opportunity to witness the feline in the wild.
The sighting was followed by another significant development later in the evening when the tiger successfully hunted a sambar deer in the sanctuary’s core zone. The Forest department has confirmed the kill, an important natural hunting behaviour of the tiger in its new habitat.
Experts are also of the view that this offers the right opportunity for introduction of female tigers in the protected area so as to attempt a scientific breeding plan.
The developments come a day after the tiger was first recorded by a camera trap and directly sighted by patrolling staff, having entered Debrigarh through the Dechuan-Lakhanpur forest stretch from neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Subsequent analysis of its photographs established that the tiger was a male with preliminary assessment suggesting it could be an adult.
With the tiger’s presence now confirmed at multiple locations within the sanctuary, the Forest department has stepped up protection measures to ensure its safety. River patrolling and surveillance along the western boundaries of the sanctuary have been intensified.
DFO (Wildlife) Anshu Pragyan Das said, “We have strengthened surveillance and alerted the police, local communities and our informer network to immediately report any suspicious activity, including the presence of poachers, traps or snares.
A reward of Rs 1,000 has been announced for informers, and their identities will be kept strictly confidential. Police in Bargarh and Sambalpur districts will also extend necessary support and share intelligence to ensure the tiger’s protection,” she said.
When asked about how the tiger could have reached Debrigarh, the Das said, “It is a transient adult male tiger, likely exploring diverse habitats in search of a suitable territory, adequate prey and potential mating opportunities.”
While approximate age of the big cat is presumed to be around four to six years, the DFO said further analysis can bring more light. The department, however, has decided to withhold further details about the animal’s movement and specific locations of its sightings in the interest of its safety and protection.
The arrival of the big cat and its successful predation have renewed hopes for the sanctuary’s potential as a suitable tiger habitat, even as its proposal for notification as Odisha’s third tiger reserve (TR) awaits the final government approval.
Notifying Debrigarh as a TR, apart from securing habitat for transient and dispersing tigers, would go a long way in strengthening conservation through statutory protection framework and scientific monitoring systems. It will also bolster community participation, reducing human-wildlife conflict.