Dibrugarh: A male Royal Bengal Tiger has been camera-trapped in Assam’s Dihing Patkai National Park, providing scientific confirmation of the species’ presence in the rainforest landscape.
The tiger was recorded during camera-trap monitoring carried out by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in collaboration with the Margherita West Forest Range under the Digboi Forest Division.
Assam Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah shared the development on X, describing the sighting as a significant moment for the state’s rainforest ecosystem.
According to the minister, forest officials had earlier found pug marks suggesting the possible presence of a tiger in the national park. The latest camera-trap image has now provided photographic and scientific evidence confirming the animal’s presence.
Baruah credited forest officials and frontline personnel for their continued patrolling and monitoring efforts, saying the record highlighted the ecological richness of Dihing Patkai.
The development has also been welcomed by wildlife enthusiasts and environmentalists in Assam, who have long been interested in reports of tiger presence in the national park.
Wildlife activist Devojit Moran described the camera-trap record as encouraging, noting that while there had previously been reports of Royal Bengal Tigers in Dihing Patkai, photographic evidence was not available.
“It’s good news and we are happy with the presence of the Royal Bengal Tiger in Dihing Patkai National Park. Earlier, we had heard about the presence of the tiger in the park, but we did not have any photographic evidence. Now, it has been confirmed through camera trapping,” Moran said.
Dihing Patkai National Park covers 231.65 square kilometres across Assam’s Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts and is known for its extensive rainforest ecosystem.
The wider Dihing Patkai rainforest landscape extends across more than 575 square kilometres in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Charaideo districts and continues into the Tirap and Changlang districts of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
The camera-trap confirmation adds to the growing ecological significance of the protected area and provides researchers and forest authorities with valuable information for future wildlife monitoring and conservation efforts.