Royal Bengal Tiger Spotted In Arunachal Sanctuary After Nearly 20 Years

The Royal Bengal Tiger has been photographed inside Arunachal Pradesh's D Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary (DEMWS) near Pasighat after nearly two decades.

The sighting was captured through camera trap surveys conducted in the sanctuary with technical support from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).

According to officials, the last confirmed evidence of a tiger in DEMWS dates back to 2005, with only unverified sightings reported until around 2007-08.

A baseline survey published by the World Wide Fund for Nature in 2014 found no pugmarks or camera trap evidence of tigers and pointed to rampant hunting by poachers as the likely reason for their disappearance.

However, the wider landscape had already started showing signs of renewed tiger activity. In January 2026, foresters of the Jonai forest range in Assam reported spotting pugmarks of an adult Royal Bengal Tiger in Kobu Chapori, a proposed reserve forest near the sanctuary along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Divisional Forest Officer Kempi Ete described the development as significant. "The return of the tiger after nearly two decades reflects the resilience of the ecosystem and the impact of sustained conservation efforts on the ground," she said, crediting frontline forest staff, Eco-Development Committees and local community organisations for their role in protecting the area.

The recent survey also recorded the critically endangered Chinese Pangolin and the rare endangered Hispid Hare, highlighting the ecological importance of the sanctuary's riparian grassland ecosystem, the only one of its kind among protected areas in Arunachal Pradesh.

Officials said they had observed indirect signs of possible tiger movement in the past year. Earlier surveillance did not yield photographic proof, but continued efforts finally captured the tiger on camera.

An environmentalist welcomed the development, saying, "It is good news for us. The return of the Royal Bengal Tiger to the wildlife sanctuary will attract tourists. We are very happy."

The D Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary is located about 13 kilometres from Pasighat in East Siang district. Spread over 190 sq kilometres, it was established in 1978 and is surrounded by the Siang and Sibya rivers. It is an important habitat for tigers, leopards, wild buffaloes and migratory birds.