Exciting news from Odisha! For the first time ever, students from local colleges and high schools are set to join the crucial All India Tiger Estimation for 2025-26. Starting this November, 46 eager young participants from Dunguri College, Kamgaon College, and Lakhanpur High School will lend their efforts to the national census at the beautiful Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, as confirmed by Anshu Pragyan Das, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Hirakud Wildlife Division.
These budding conservationists started their comprehensive training earlier this week, with sessions running through the first week of November. Ms. Das elaborated that their curriculum covers essential skills, including sampling protocols, precise data collection methods, and the identification of various herbivores and carnivores. Students are also learning to recognize vital wildlife signs like pugmarks, footprints, rake marks, scent marks, and vocalisations – critical tools for effective census work.
“Involving our youth in this significant endeavor is about more than just data collection,” explained Ms. Das. “We are actively nurturing a new generation of future leaders, passionate ambassadors for Debrigarh, and informed decision-makers who will be deeply motivated to sustain conservation efforts within the sanctuary.” She emphasized that such programs infuse conservation initiatives with fresh creative energy, immense enthusiasm, and invaluable community participation.
For the upcoming survey, the Debrigarh sanctuary has been divided into 26 dedicated census units. The DFO also mentioned that 80 experienced frontline forest officials will join the students, ensuring a robust and thorough census operation scheduled to commence in the second week of November.
Adding to the comprehensive nature of the census, 107 state-of-the-art camera traps have been strategically deployed. The entire process will involve detailed sign surveys and advanced camera trapping techniques, culminating in rigorous scientific data analysis. This will help accurately assess the carnivore population, prey density, and overall habitat conditions within the sanctuary.
Looking back, the last All India Tiger Census took place in 2022. More recently, in 2023, Debrigarh authorities conducted their own pre-monsoon estimation, focusing on prey density and the leopard population. That survey, utilizing the traditional pugmark method, tentatively identified 82 leopards within the sanctuary. Furthermore, a summer census conducted in May of this year revealed a healthy population of 788 gaur (Indian bison), including 315 energetic juveniles, thriving in the forest.