Tiger walks into Debrigarh sanctuary

SAMBALPUR: A young adult tiger walking the forest roads of Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary has pleasantly surprised naturalists of the State.The tiger, about three years, was first sighted on the evening of December 1 at around 5 pm walking through the entry point of sanctuary even forest staff, safari vehicles and tourists looked on with awe.

The young cat walked on the forest road for a long time without caring for tourists and sans any disturbance, it moved into the forest. It is presumed to be a male.The last time a tiger footprint was found in Debrigrah was in 2018 when remains of a big cat were found in a trap. Needless to state, over the last two days, the Hirakud Wildlife Division has swung into action, installed camera-traps and other surveillance besides beefing up protection measures to keep the new guest safe.

The tiger is believed to be a dispersing one from Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh. Chief Wildlife Warden SK Popli said prima facie the big cat appears to have come from Chhattisgarh as Debrigarh is well connected to the neighbouring state.

“Debrigarh has a healthy herbivore density which makes it a potential habitat for tigers. The presence of the tiger is a good sign which proves the sanctuary is an appropriate site for big cat conservation,” the PCCF (Wildlife) added.

Divisional Forest Officer of Anshu Pragyan Das said adequate protection measures have been put in place after the tiger’s entry. Two monitoring units have been set up including one inside the sanctuary and another at division office of Hirakud.

As many as 12 patrolling units supported with apps are manning the sanctuary round-the-clock. Besides, more than 100 camera traps are installed throughout the sanctuary and metal detectors are being used to scan vulnerable zones.

Das said tiger monitoring process as per the protocol of Wildlife Institute of India and NTCA are put in place. “It is our responsibility to protect and monitor its movement during its residence here,” she said adding, her team is working in tandem with local police and public representatives.

Honorary Wildlife Warden for Angul Aditya Chandra Panda said the young adult tiger of dispersing age might have moved to the forest from Central India in search of its own territory and resident breeding females. “Debrigarh, in the past, has witnessed movement of dispersing of tigers from Central India as both Kanha and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves are well-linked, he said.

Panda, however, said the tiger may continue its dispersal from the sanctuary due to lack of resident female in the area. He, in his personal opinion, suggested that the tiger should be taken to Similipal Tiger Reserve where State government is considering supplementing the tiger population with other tiger population to improve the collapsing gene pool of the tiger habitat.

SAMBALPUR: A young adult tiger walking the forest roads of Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary has pleasantly surprised naturalists of the State.The tiger, about three years, was first sighted on the evening of December 1 at around 5 pm walking through the entry point of sanctuary even forest staff, safari vehicles and tourists looked on with awe. The young cat walked on the forest road for a long time without caring for tourists and sans any disturbance, it moved into the forest. It is presumed to be a male.The last time a tiger footprint was found in Debrigrah was in 2018 when remains of a big cat were found in a trap. Needless to state, over the last two days, the Hirakud Wildlife Division has swung into action, installed camera-traps and other surveillance besides beefing up protection measures to keep the new guest safe. The tiger is believed to be a dispersing one from Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh. Chief Wildlife Warden SK Popli said prima facie the big cat appears to have come from Chhattisgarh as Debrigarh is well connected to the neighbouring state. “Debrigarh has a healthy herbivore density which makes it a potential habitat for tigers. The presence of the tiger is a good sign which proves the sanctuary is an appropriate site for big cat conservation,” the PCCF (Wildlife) added. Divisional Forest Officer of Anshu Pragyan Das said adequate protection measures have been put in place after the tiger’s entry. Two monitoring units have been set up including one inside the sanctuary and another at division office of Hirakud. As many as 12 patrolling units supported with apps are manning the sanctuary round-the-clock. Besides, more than 100 camera traps are installed throughout the sanctuary and metal detectors are being used to scan vulnerable zones. Das said tiger monitoring process as per the protocol of Wildlife Institute of India and NTCA are put in place. “It is our responsibility to protect and monitor its movement during its residence here,” she said adding, her team is working in tandem with local police and public representatives. Honorary Wildlife Warden for Angul Aditya Chandra Panda said the young adult tiger of dispersing age might have moved to the forest from Central India in search of its own territory and resident breeding females. “Debrigarh, in the past, has witnessed movement of dispersing of tigers from Central India as both Kanha and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves are well-linked, he said. Panda, however, said the tiger may continue its dispersal from the sanctuary due to lack of resident female in the area. He, in his personal opinion, suggested that the tiger should be taken to Similipal Tiger Reserve where State government is considering supplementing the tiger population with other tiger population to improve the collapsing gene pool of the tiger habitat.