Bhubaneswar: The Forest department has conducted the annual animal census at Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Sambalpur district of Odisha recently.
The sanctuary now has a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) and at least 82 leopards, said a senior official of the Forest department.
“The sighting of a Royal Bengal Tiger at Debrigarh is the most important development for this year’s animal census conducted from May 29 to June 3. The leopard population at the sanctuary has gone up to 82 in comparison to last year’s figure of 70,” added the official.
According to the official, the overall herbivore density at Debrigarh has gone up to 46 animals per square km from 29 animals per sq km in 2022.
Among the herbivores, the sanctuary has the highest number chitals followed by gaur, sambar, wild boar and chowsingha, said sources in the Forest department.
The survey has recorded 1,099 signs of carnivores at the sanctuary, they added.
Sources, meanwhile, claimed that the Forest department has constituted a 12-member team and set up three control rooms to monitor the movement of the lone Royal Bengal Tiger sighted at Debrigarh.
The officials are conducting regular patrolling at the sanctuary. This apart, awareness drive has been launched in 48 villages located close to Debrigarh.
It is worth mentioning here that the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has recently given its approval to a proposal of the state government to declare Debrigarh a tiger reserve.
The state government had proposed to declare Debrigarh, spread of 804.51 sq km area, as a tiger reserve in 2018. Debrigarh would be the third tiger reserve of Odisha after Similipal and Satkosia.