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Tiger presence detected in 3 more forest divisions of Odisha
September 29, 2018 

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BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray on Saturday said Royal Bengal Tigers have been sighted at three new forest divisions of the state.
The tigers were detected at Hemagiri forest in Sundargarh, Debrigad Wildlife Century in Hirakud and Munigada in Rayagada districts.

The presence of tigers has been confirmed through both pictures captured in cameras and pug marks.
"The sighting of tigers in other places apart from the tiger reserves is certainly good news. It is suspected that the tigers either could have strayed from other Chattisgarh or were present in the state, but not detected earlier," said the Minister.

Following the repeated sighting of tigers in new areas, forest officials have been alerted and directed to intensify patrolling in these areas.
“With the detection of tigers in new areas, the tiger population in the State could be over 60,” Routray added, "Our forests have huge potential and population of tigers will definitely increase in future."

The Minister also said that efforts are on to declare Sunabeda, some parts of Sundergarh and Debrigarh as new tiger reserves in the state.

Earlier, the Odisha government was at loggerheads with the central government after the National Tiger Conservation Authority had estimated the number of tigers at Odisha to be 28, in its All India Tiger Estimation Report-2014 (the counting was done only in Shimilipal and Satkosia Tiger Reserves). Countering NTCA, the state government had conducted a census in 2016, which claimed that there was the presence of 40 Royal Bengal Tigers in the state.

Sources:
https://odishatv.in/odisha/presence-of-tigers-traced-in-3-new-places-in-odisha-minister-324362
http://www.odishabytes.com/royal-bengal-tigers-stride-across-3-new-territories-in-odisha/
http://www.orissapost.com/tigers-sighted-at-three-new-forest-divisions-in-odisha-minister/ Reply