Guwahati
A tiger has been photographed by a camera trap in Arunachal Pradesh’s D’Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary for the first time in almost two decades, bringing cheers to wildlife enthusiasts, conservationists and officials.
The 190-sq. km. sanctuary near Pasighat, the East Siang district headquarters, was believed to have lost the species years ago. The first-ever camera-trap photograph of the striped cat has established its return to the protected area.
The sanctuary is named after Daying Ering, a former Union Minister and chairman of the Ering Commission, which influenced the Panchayati Raj system in India.
Kempi Ete, the Divisional Forest Officer, said forest officials and frontline staff documented indirect signs of tiger presence over the past year. Multiple rounds of systematic monitoring and camera trapping were undertaken to verify these observations.
Although earlier efforts yielded no photographic evidence, monitoring continued with renewed intensity and persistence. In the latest phase of surveys, camera traps installed at strategic locations successfully captured images of a tiger, conclusively establishing its presence in the landscape.
The surveys, conducted with technical support from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), also recorded other animals, including the critically endangered Chinese pangolin and the endangered hispid hare.
“The return of the tiger after nearly two decades reflects the resilience of the ecosystem and the cumulative impact of sustained conservation efforts on the ground. This achievement belongs equally to our forest officials, frontline staff, Eco-Development Committee members and the community-based organisations that have continuously supported conservation initiatives in the landscape,” Ms. Ete said.
Local MLA Oken Tayeng said that the tiger’s return indicates a “healthy sign” and improving ecological conditions in the sanctuary. He stated it could improve tourism prospects and create employment opportunities for youths living in fringe villages around the protected area.
As an apex predator, the tiger is an indicator of ecosystem health and habitat integrity, underscoring the conservation value of the sanctuary’s unique riverine and grassland ecosystems.
“This photographic evidence of a tiger, along with other highly threatened mammals, is a testament to the long-standing conservation efforts of the staff of D’Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary since its inception,” Rajkamal Goswami, who leads ATREE’s biodiversity and bio-resource conservation initiatives in Arunachal Pradesh, said.