Tigress spotted in Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve after 8 years, raising hopes for tiger revival in Chhattisgarh
A four-year-old tigress has been spotted in the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR) in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari and Gariaband districts, marking the first documented presence of a tigress in the reserve in eight years.
The tigress has been captured in camera traps and videos have also been recorded by the villagers in recent days. Forest officials and wildlife experts have described the development as a major milestone for conservation efforts in the reserve, which has been working to improve habitat conditions and strengthen wildlife protection measures.
Officials said the sighting is being viewed as a positive indicator of the reserve’s ecological health and a sign that ongoing conservation initiatives are yielding results.
According to forest department officials, extensive efforts have been undertaken over the past few years to improve wildlife habitats and enhance protection within the reserve.
More than 900 hectares of forest land that had been under illegal encroachment were cleared over the last two years. Authorities also intensified anti-poaching operations, resulting in several arrests. Additional measures included the creation and maintenance of water sources, grassland development, continuous camera-trap monitoring and the establishment of anti-poaching camps across the reserve.
Officials believe these initiatives have helped create a safer and more favourable environment for wildlife, encouraging the movement and settlement of large carnivores.
Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve Deputy Director Varun Jain said the tigress was recorded on camera traps on three separate occasions over the last 11 days. He noted that the animal does not match any previously documented tigress in the available records of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), indicating that it is a new entrant to the reserve.
As per the preliminary assessments, the tigress is expected to travelled from the Chandrapur landscape in neighbouring Maharashtra or moved through the forest corridors of Abujhmad before reaching Udanti-Sitanadi. However, the Wildlife experts consider the presence of a tiger to be one of the strongest indicators of a healthy forest ecosystem, as the big cat sits at the top of the food chain and requires adequate prey and habitat to survive.
The repeated sightings suggest that the tigress may be exploring or gradually establishing a territory within the reserve. Forest officials remain optimistic that continued habitat management and protection measures could support further growth in the tiger population and strengthen Udanti-Sitanadi’s position as an important tiger landscape in central India.