Sambalpur: After more than five years, for the first time a tiger was spotted at Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary on December 1.
At around 5 pm, the tiger was seen entering the Debrigarh sanctuary through the entry point amid forest staff, safari vehicles and tourists.
After the entry of Tiger, Debrigarh authorities have geared up tiger monitoring process. 12 patrolling teams will keep a look at the periphery of the sanctuary around villages 24*7 . Two tiger monitoring units have been set up one inside Sanctuary and another at Sambalpur Division office of Hirakud for tracking the tiger day and night.
Any civilian seen inside sanctuary will be arrested as entry to sanctuary is a nonbailable offence. Mobiles and locations of all suspected poachers of Bargarh Sambalpur and nearby districts and in villages around Debrigarh, livestock grazers, shopkeepers who are in suspect list are under surveillance by the wildlife division.
More than 100 camera have been installed throughout the sanctuary. Metal detectors are being used to scan the vulnerable zones.
Last year under Hirakud Wildlife Division, 400 families(more than 1000 population) of 4 villages Kurumkel,Rengali,Bhutuli,Lambipali were relocated from the sanctuary to outside creating more than 500 hectares of inviolate space for movement and predation of Wildlife.
Development of grassland over 500 hectares is under progress now. As the Sanctuary is now completely free from biotic disturbance. All VHF stations are also functional and all staff have walkie talkies.
Debrigarh which has healthy herbivore density is a potential tiger habitat. Prey density is more than 30 per square kilometer.Among suitable prey of tiger, Sambar population is highest, spotted deer, wildboar are quite healthy in density.
Ms Kalinga