SAMBALPUR: The arrival of a young adult tiger in the forests of Debrigarh has prompted Hirakud wildlife division to launch ‘Debrigarh-48’, a special initiative to bring residents of villages located in the fringe areas of the wildlife sanctuary to ensure the big cat stays safe and does not scare the people living in the periphery.
The wildlife division has conglomerated 48 villages adjoining Debrigarh sanctuary and been conducting several activities to refrain the villagers from harming the tiger out of panic and most importantly, collecting intelligence from the peripheral landscape through them.
The 48 villages include 28 villages under Lakhanpur wildlife division and 20 under Kamgaon wildlife range. To make villagers aware of the tiger’s traits, the Debrigarh forest authorities are screening movies on tigers and their habitats in all the villages that fall under the limits and periphery of Debrigarh sanctuary for three hours in the evening every day. Among the attendees, the highest footfall is of women who are dependent on the forest for firewood, bamboo and water.
To avoid people disturbing the big cat and curbing chances of man-animal conflict, forest officials have regulated their timing for entering forests to collect firewood.DFO (wildlife), Hirakud division, Anshu Pragyan Das said strategic patrolling and monitoring is being carried out to prevent illegal hooking and laying of traps which are primary concerns when it comes to the safety of wildlife.
“We are keeping track of this with the help of villagers in the peripheral areas. This apart, a cash reward of Rs 1,000 has been declared for information on poaching, traps and illegal hooking inside or outside the sanctuary,” she said.To publicise the provision of cash reward and benefits that tigers can bring to a landscape, posters have been put up at all public spaces and common areas in the villages.
“Intelligence network has been strengthened manifold. Eight teams for day time and 12 for night have been deployed. The sanctuary’s vulnerable spots and tiger’s movement is under round-the-clock surveillance by a tiger monitoring team. As many as 44 protection camps are operational in this process,” she said. And that’s not all.
More than 100 camera traps are guarding the tiger inside the sanctuary and also, keeping a vigil on illegal entry of people. A two-tier protection mechanism has been implemented at the outskirts of Debrigarh for better enforcement round the clock. One tier patrols the villages and other guards the border of the sanctuary. At least 8 teams are engaged in this two-tier ‘fencing team’.A ‘shock free zone’ has been created by constructing cattle proof and elephant trench as a standoff barrier between the sanctuary and villages surrounding it.
BIG CAT SAFETY NET
Over 100 camera traps monitoring the tiger in the sanctuary
8 teams monitoring tiger in day, 12 in night
44 protection camps in place
2-tier protection net around Debrigarh borders and villages in periphery
Cash reward of Rs 1,000 for info on poaching, traps
Films on tiger habitats being screened