Camera trap images show flourishing wildlife: USTR amid conservation push

Time of India

19-05-2025

Raipur: Recent
camera trap images
from Chhattisgarh's
Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve
(USTR) have captured a promising resurgence in wildlife activity, showing extensive use of the forest by carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores alike.
USTR administration said that despite the existence of over 100 villages in its core and buffer zones, the reserve is emerging as a conservation success story, with focused efforts on habitat restoration, anti-poaching operations, and community engagement.
Spanning 1,852 square kilometres across Dhamtari and Gariaband districts, USTR is not only an ecological haven but also the origin of the Mahanadi, Sitanadi, and Udanti rivers, which are vital to Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Its dense forests act as a natural sponge, storing rainwater and supporting both wildlife and agriculture.
USTR also serves as a crucial tiger corridor linking Maharashtra's Gadchiroli and Chhattisgarh's Indravati Tiger Reserve with Odisha's Sunabeda Sanctuary. USTR deputy director Varun Jain said the reserve, once plagued by poaching, encroachment, and illegal logging, saw a significant transformation.
Recent images and surveys show increased sightings of tigers, leopards, elephants, and sloth bears—indicators of a healthy ecosystem.
Anti-poaching efforts intensified with support from the Cyber Cells of Gariaband and Dhamtari police, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), and CRPF patrols, especially in areas affected by Maoism. These efforts enhanced protection across state borders, particularly in corridors connecting Odisha and Maharashtra.
Community involvement played a pivotal role. Through 'Charwaha Sammelans' and the granting of community forest resource rights, the administration said that it is building trust with local villagers, many of whom are now active partners in preventing illegal logging, poaching, and forest fires.
The 'Elephant Alert App', developed to warn locals and track elephant movements, has been instrumental in reducing conflict, officials said, especially as two herds from Odisha—comprising about 40 elephants—now spend 70% of their time within USTR boundaries.
This shift is said to have reduced crop raids in neighbouring districts such as Gariaband, Dhamtari, and Kanker. Sloth bears and leopards also thrive in the mountainous terrain, with its abundance of caves and seasonal food sources like termite mounds, tendu fruits, and beehives.
"These protection measures also attracted a tiger from the corridor, which we are currently tracking through pugmarks. Earlier in 2018, the chital and Nilgai density was around 1 per sq km per species, which is expected to rise to 4-5 per sq km. Census is ongoing. Moreover, spotting of barking deer and gaurs has also increased," Jain said.