Kolkata/Jhargram/Purulia: Two weeks after Odisha tigress Zeenat was captured in Bankura’s Gosaindihi village, fresh tiger pug marks have been spotted in Purulia’s Raika Hills — one of Zeenat’s hideouts during her 21-day sojourn after she departed Similipal — on Sunday morning and at Banspahari’s Maniardihi in Jhargram later in the afternoon.
Forest personnel from Purulia, Bankura south and Jhargram divisions have hastened to the locations to maintain surveillance and monitor the big cat.
This could be the same tiger that made a kill in Jharkhand’s Chandil area near Ayodhya Hills border on Jan 31 and subsequently moved southwards to reach Dalma sanctuary of the district, according to pugmarks tracked by foresters there.
Jamshedpur DFO Saba Alam Ansari said: “No fresh footprints were spotted in Dalma in the past two days. So, it’s possible that this tiger has moved into Bengal.”
While pugmarks revealed its presence in Dalma’s east at Chimti block two days ago, Sunday’s developments indicate that it has entered Purulia’s Raika after traversing forests of Gobarbhusi, Jamdih in Jharkhand and Gangamanna in Bengal.
“From there, it traversed elephant corridors towards south of Raika hills and Mayurjharna to reach Banspahari,” said an official, noting that it’s the route Zeenat took the other way. Whilst Zeenat moved south to north (from Belpahari to Purulia), this tiger traveled from north to south (Purulia to Banspahari).
According to chief conservator of forest S Kulandaivel, efforts are on to fix trap cameras — there are 50 pairs in Bankura south division — in the nearby forests after pugmarks, scratch marks and tiger excrete were spotted in the region. “A team from the Sundarbans is also readied,” he said, adding that since this tiger doesn’t have a collar, tracking will be difficult.
The Chandil tiger, according to sources, after making a cattle kill in the nearby Chauka area, approached Subarnarekha river but didn’t cross over to Bengal from the Ayodhya Hills side. Instead, it traveled south to cross a highway to reach Dalma sanctuary and enter Purulia at Raika Hills.
(With inputs from Sujoy Khanra & Tanuja Singh Deo)