Bhubaneswar: Adding another chapter to the story of tiger dispersal in India, a male Royal Bengal Tiger has entered Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve after covering a distance of nearly 1,500 km.Although wildlife experts have not yet determined the habitat from which it may have spread, initial assessments suggest it may have come from the central Indian landscape, possibly the Vidarbha region.Let us tell you that in November 2023, a Royal Bengal Tiger had reached the forests of Odisha after covering a distance of about 2,000 km from Tadoba.Wildlife officials said the latest dispersal is the first recorded instance of a tiger reaching Similipal on its own from the outer landscape, marking a significant moment in the conservation history of the reserve.The presence of the tiger has been confirmed through a camera trap image, although officials are still trying to match its stripe pattern to determine its exact origin.Similipal officials said the animal is an adult male and has been roaming extensively in the core area of ​​the reserve till now.“The tiger has been captured in a camera trap. It is a male RBT. But we are yet to find out which particular habitat in the central landscape it has come from,” said a wildlife officer from Similipal, requesting anonymity.The official said that while two tigresses, Zeenat and Yamuna, were earlier shifted to Similipal from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, this is the first time that a tiger from another landscape has come to the reserve on its own.For conservation experts, the tiger’s arrival is more than an isolated sighting. This is being seen as evidence of forest connectivity and the ecological value of connected landscapes.Anoop Nayak, former member secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, described the development as a positive sign for Similipal. “The reserve is trying to rebuild its tiger population with a fresh gene pool, and the arrival of a male from a different habitat naturally supports that goal. Young tigers often travel widely in search of territory, especially as they mature and move away from established ranges,” Nayak said.Similipal, known for its melanistic tigers, has ample prey, but the big cats may still continue searching before settling. At present, officials are keeping a close watch on the newcomer.