Baripada: The authorities of Similipal National Park in Odisha Sunday confirmed the entry of a male Royal Bengal Tiger into the core area of the reserve and said that it might continue to stay there, a senior official said.
Similipal Tiger Reserve field director Prakash Chand Gogineni said, “It is a fact that a Royal Bengal Tiger entered Similipal during December-January. The big cat entered Sundargarh district from Chhattisgarh side. It passed through Deogarh district and Dhenkanal district before entering Similipal.”
The official said the tiger’s arrival was recorded in trap cameras fitted in the forests for tiger census.
“However, we cannot say from which state it came and how much distance it covered before reaching Similipal,” he said, adding that it was an adult male tiger.
When asked whether the tiger is still in Similipal or has left, Gogineni said, “We hope the animal is in the Similipal core area, but cannot confirm it now. We will again install trap cameras in December-January to locate it.”
“It is a good development that a tiger from another area has come to Similipal. This indicates that Similipal’s biodiversity attracts animals from far-off areas,” he added.
STR is known globally for its rare melanistic (black) tigers. According to the 2023-24 estimation, the reserve has 27 adult tigers and eight cubs.
