CCTV Cameras To Be Reinstalled In Debrigarh Sanctuary: PCCF

Bhubaneswar: The Forest Department is planning to reinstall CCTV cameras at various locations in the core area of Debrigrh Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha’s Bargarh district, where a leopard carcass was found recently.

Talking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Sandip Tripathy said CCTV cameras were earlier installed inside the sanctuary. However, these were later removed due to Maoist activities.

To tack the presence of the tigers inside the sanctuary, PIP (pug impression pad) method would be employed, he said.

Referring to the death of a leopard, whose decomposed carcass was recovered from a pit inside the core area of the sanctuary on October 28, Tripathy said the Forest Department had strictly adhered to the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

The NTCA has sought a detailed report from the state Forest and Environment Department.

On Tuesday, it had asked the Forest Department to furnish a detailed report on the circumstances and the cause of the death of the leopard and the action it had taken so far.

Besides, it had also asked the department to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the safety and protection of the tiger.

While it was initially suspected that the carcass was that of a Royal Bengal tiger, the Forest department later confirmed that instead it was that of a leopard .

The PCCF, who had visited the sanctuary following the incident, said that the postmortem report had revealed that the carcass was of a leopard of around 2 to 3 weeks old.

Forest and Environment minister Bijayshree Routray had also said that the forensic test suggested that the carcass of the leopard was buried after its death.

He further said that the carcass had been sent to the forensic laboratory in Dehradun to ascertain the cause of the death.

The Forest Department had recently found the presence of a Royal Bengal tiger in Debrigarh sanctuary through trap cameras installed at various locations in the core forest area.

Meanwhile, Bargarh DFO on Wednesday suspended Kamagan forester Parsuram Behera and Hajurigarh forest guard Pravasini Mahananda for dereliction of duty.