Key Highlights
- The second Indian Bison Fest will take place on 8 March 2026 at Zeropoint, inside Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Sambalpur.
- More than 800 gaurs have been recorded in the sanctuary, marking a rise of 190 individuals within a single year.
- Programmes include guided gaur safaris, night‑camping, stargazing, a trek to Bat Island and expert talks on bison ecology.
- Habitat‑restoration and systematic monitoring underline the site’s role as a long‑term gaur breeding stronghold.
Detailed Insights
Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, positioned in Odisha’s Hirakud‑Debrigarh landscape, has emerged as a pivotal hub for gaur (Indian bison) conservation. The latest census, conducted in January 2026, tallied 848 individuals, of which roughly 235 are juveniles under two years of age – a clear indication of successful reproduction and a healthy herd structure. The festival, organized by the Hirakud Wildlife Division, expands over two days, offering participants—students, researchers, volunteers and nature enthusiasts—a blend of education and eco‑tourism.
Day 1 commences with specialist lectures on gaur behaviour, followed by a wildlife‑film screening and a guided safari that traverses the sanctuary’s grasslands and wetlands. Evening activities feature night‑camping under a clear sky, where attendees can observe constellations such as Saptarshi (the Big Dipper) and Orion. The following morning includes a trek to the adjoining Bat Island, home to more than a thousand fruit bats, and a river cruise providing additional wildlife viewing opportunities.
Conservation measures at Debrigarh encompass strategic habitat management, grassland restoration, wetland upkeep, and systematic population monitoring. These interventions aim to sustain prey‑predator dynamics and secure the sanctuary’s status as a source population for future gaur recovery programmes across eastern India.
Key Concepts
- Gaur (Indian bison): The largest extant bovine (Bos gaurus), classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, inhabiting tropical forests and grasslands of South‑Asia.
- Habitat Restoration: The process of rehabilitating degraded ecosystems—such as grasslands and wetlands—to support native wildlife and ecological functions.
- Source Population: A robust, genetically diverse wildlife group that can supply individuals for translocation or re‑introduction to bolster other fragmented populations.