Two Tigers to Be Translocated to Debrigarh Sanctuary

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia on Monday announced that two Royal Bengal Tigers will soon be translocated to the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Bargarh district, in a major initiative to revive the big cat population in western Odisha.

The Minister said the state government is working in close coordination with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to ensure the smooth execution of the translocation process. He stressed the importance of local support, stating that discussions are underway with nearby communities to secure their cooperation for the project.

Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, which recently received approval from the NTCA to be upgraded to a tiger reserve, is set to become Odisha’s third tiger reserve after Similipal and Satkosia.

Highlighting recent conservation efforts, the Minister referred to the translocation of two tigresses, Yamuna and Zeenat (Jinat), from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to Similipal Tiger Reserve. He acknowledged that breeding success has not yet been achieved but assured that conservation efforts are continuing. “Luck has not favoured us in breeding so far, but we are persistently working towards it,” he said.

Both tigresses in Similipal are under round-the-clock monitoring using GPS collars for real-time tracking and camera traps to closely observe their movement and health, the Minister added.