Bhubaneswar: The Royal Bengal Tiger that had entered Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary on Monday made its first recorded kill, hunting a sambar on Tuesday, a strong sign of the big cat having natural hunting skill in a new habitat, according to wildlife officials.The tiger, which has been moving across different parts of the sanctuary since its arrival, was also directly sighted by visitors on safaris near the tourism zone. “The tiger remained in the tourism zone for nearly 30 minutes before going back to the sanctuary’s core area,” Anshu Pragyan Das, the divisional forest officer of Hirakud wildlife division, said.“The tiger was walking slowly, apparently unaware of human presence. It seemed that the animal was trying to hide from us,” Santosh Kumar Pradhan, a tourist from Jajpur who spotted the big cat during the safari ride, said.With the arrival of the tiger generating significant interest, forest authorities have stepped up surveillance and protection measures across the sanctuary. River patrolling has been intensified and additional monitoring is being carried out along the western boundary of Debrigarh.Officials said local police, community members and informer networks have been alerted to immediately report any signs of poaching, traps, snares or other suspicious activities. Authorities have assured that the identity of informers will be kept strictly confidential. “We have also announced a reward of Rs 1,000 for any person who provides information about suspicious activities or the movement of individuals that could pose a threat to the tiger,” she said.Police in Bargarh and Sambalpur districts have also been requested to share intelligence inputs and extend support for the tiger’s protection.It has not yet been determined from where the tiger has come.Wildlife experts believe the tiger’s successful hunt and continued movement within the sanctuary indicate that it is settling into the landscape, raising hopes of strengthening the presence of the species in western Odisha’s forests.