DEOGARH: Forest department stepped in and installed 43 trap cameras after purported tiger pugmarks were spotted near Jharmunda village forest, close to Babaji Math village, in Reamal forest range of Deogarh district.
Acting on the information, forest officials rushed to the spot and collected samples of the footprints on Tuesday. A team of experts has been roped in to examine and verify the findings.
To monitor the suspected tiger’s movement, the department has installed trap cameras at various strategic points in the forest. A special team has been formed to keep a close watch and conduct regular patrolling in the area.
Range officer of Reamal forest range, Niranjan Dharua said as many as 43 trap cameras have been installed across the range. “But we have not spotted a tiger yet. The pugmarks are the only evidence as of now but our team is trying to trace out the tiger,” he added. As per sources, local residents had earlier reported the movement of what they called a tiger in Reamal range but no confirmation could be made. The fresh discovery of pugmarks has now added weight to those claims though it is yet to be confirmed if the pugmarks belonged to a tiger or an adult leopard.
Fear has spread across the adjoining hamlets, with locals reluctant to venture into the forest. “People are worried about their safety and that of their cattle,” a resident said. The Forest department urged residents not to leave their domestic animals in nearby forests and remain cautious until the matter is confirmed.
On Monday evening, public address systems were used to caution villagers across the forest range. Prior to this, in August, a tiger that reportedly entered Odisha from Chhattisgarh, travelling nearly 150 km in just four days. Forest officials confirmed the big cat, suspected to be a seven-year-old male, from fresh pugmarks but said it has not harmed humans, though it did injure a cow in Sundargarh where it was spotted for the first time on August 15. Whether it is the same tiger is also yet to be ascertained.