At Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in western Odisha, village women are charting new paths — guiding safaris, driving jeeps, and redefining roles in eco-tourism.
Margret Baru, a Class X pass-out and Odisha’s first woman safari driver, told The Telegraph: “I took driving training last year and completed it. Later, I joined the forest department and began taking tourists on safaris. We have 4-seater, 8-seater and 12-seater vehicles. When I take them into the dense forest, covering nearly 15km, we often encounter different animals, including leopards.”
“There is a lot of excitement among tourists when they see wild animals, and no one shudders with fear. The animals don’t harm unless disturbed. Living at the foothills, we know how to live in harmony,” she said.
Baru takes tourists on four guided tours a day, starting the first at 6am and the last at 2.45pm. She earns ₹13,000 for her work.
“When I see tourists thrilled by the sight of wild animals, it gives me a sense of happiness and contentment,” she said.
Sangeeta Sikra, Odisha’s first woman eco-tourism guide, also works at Debrigarh. “When I take tourists around, I try to educate them about our programmes and how to keep the sanctuary undisturbed. The tourists listen carefully,” said Sangeeta, a graduate who earns ₹14,000 per month.
Not just Margret and Sangeeta, several other women have also found jobs through the sanctuary.
Divisional forest officer (DFO), Hirakud wildlife division, Anshu Pragyan Das told this newspaper: “Margret and Sangeeta are doing a commendable job, taking tourists safely through the dense forest.”
She said: “Community members managing ecotourism activities at Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Hirakud Wetland have scripted a success story in community-led tourism and sustainable living, generating ₹5.11 crore in revenue during the 2024–25 financial year. Of the workforce, 40% are women. A total of 85 families are directly employed at Debrigarh.”
“During 2024–25, 9,000 tourists stayed overnight at the Debrigarh Nature Camp, around 27,000 availed of jungle safaris, over 12,000 took the Hirakud cruise, 5,000 visited the Island Cafe and nearly 12,000 bought items from the sanctuary’s souvenir shop,” she added.
In view of the growing tourist footfall, the sanctuary management has issued a “jungle safari etiquette” — an SOP for guides, drivers and visitors to enhance animal sightings without disturbance and improve visitor experience.
“Debrigarh has evolved as the only wildlife habitat in the state where 8 to 10 animal species are sighted year-round in the eco-tourism zone — including large herds of Indian bison, leopards, sambar, cheetal, bears, wild boars, peacocks, langurs, golden jackals and dholes,” the DFO said.