Baragada: Forest Department has stepped up vigil following sighting of a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) in Odisha’s Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
According to Hirakud Wildlife Division DFO Anshu Pragyan Das, the tiger entered the sanctuary through Dechuan – Lakhanpur forest range under Ambabhona block in Baragada district. The big cat’s presence was captured on a camera trap and confirmed via a direct visual sighting by forest patrolling staff.
The forest official stated that details regarding the tiger’s origin, gender, age, and individual profile can only be confirmed after a formal photographic analysis by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
To safeguard the big cat and monitor its movement, the sanctuary administration has deployed robust monitoring mechanisms:
Camera Traps: 100 camera traps have been set up along key movement corridors.
Daily Border Patrols: 27 dedicated forest teams actively track trails and sanctuary boundaries daily.
3-Layer Night Vigilance: An intensive three-tier night patrolling mechanism has been activated across vulnerable entry points.
This latest movement in Debrigarh adds to a series of recent tiger sightings across different parts of Odisha. Recently, forest authorities have been on high alert across Southern and Western Odisha, including Koraput and Malkangiri, where Royal Bengal Tigers straying from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been tracked crossing state boundaries.
Also Read: One Tiger Returns To AP, Another Spotted In Koraput; Odisha Forest Dept Steps Up Vigil
Debrigarh Sanctuary has hosted migrating Royal Bengal Tigers in the past as well.” Previously, a resident RBT roamed the sanctuary from 2022 to 2024 for nearly 1.5 years. That tiger later migrated into the neighbouring Gomarda Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh, where it tragically died due to electrocution,” the DFO added.