Number of RBTs in Odisha’s Hadagarh sanctuary goes up to four

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Hatadihi (Keonjhar), Nov 10:

Forest officials have found traces of more Royal Bengal tigers in the Hadagarh sanctuary in Odisha’s Keonjhar district.

“While we had found the presence of one Royal Bengal tiger in the sanctuary during the tiger census in 2012, the recent census conducted in the sanctuary from October 20 to November 1 this year, has revealed the increase in their number to four,” said assistant forest conservator Nabin Chandra Nayak.

He said a 40-member team comprising 15 forest staff and 25 watchers engaged in this year’s census had found several pug marks of the Royal Bengal Tigers at Junapasi, Bahia and Hadagarh areas.

“Analysis of these pug marks has revealed the presence of a Royal Bengal couple with two three-year-old cubs”, he informed.

He also said that the Forest staff, during patrolling inside the sanctuary on November 5 this year, had found two Royal Bengal tigers feasting on a bison they had killed.