Dibru Saikhowa's First Tiger Sighting After Long Wait

Dibru Saikhowa National Park in upper Assam has officially documented the presence of a Royal Bengal tiger for the first time, concluding a 15-year quest for the Assam forest department. This island park, surrounded by six rivers and connected to Arunachal Pradesh by a wildlife corridor, has long been known for its wild horses and white-winged wood ducks.

Forest guard Santanu Phukan dedicated the last 15 years to this endeavor, dating back to the initial observation of tiger pugmarks in 2009-10. Last year, the discovery of wild buffalo bones with pugmarks near Kundaghat provided strong evidence of a tiger's presence.

An extensive camera-trap exercise involving 65 cameras, including 35 in Guijan, was conducted starting in December of the previous year. This effort led to definitive footage confirming a full-grown Royal Bengal tiger in the park's core area, with subsequent sightings reported on December 16 and January 1.

Forest officials expressed optimism that this confirmation validates Dibru Saikhowa as a suitable tiger habitat. The sighting is seen as a crucial step toward potentially elevating the park to tiger reserve status, similar to other established reserves in Assam, and boosting conservation and tourism.