Overview
- Forest officials confirmed Monday that patrolling staff camera‑trapped and directly sighted a Royal Bengal Tiger entering Debrigarh through the Dechuan‑Lakhanpur area.
- In response the Hirakud Wildlife Division installed 100 camera traps, deployed 27 field teams and introduced three layers of night patrols to provide round‑the‑clock surveillance.
- Photographs have been sent to the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India for analysis to determine the animal’s origin, sex and identity.
- Officials say the sighting underlines cross‑state movement of tigers and recalls a 2022–24 animal that left Debrigarh and later died of electrocution in Chhattisgarh, a history that shapes corridor and safety planning.
- The Centre has already approved Odisha’s proposal to declare Debrigarh a Tiger Reserve and authorities say the fresh evidence strengthens the case and supports plans to source tigers from the Central Indian landscape while protecting nearby villages with solar fencing and alert systems.