Pugmarks of suspected Royal Bengal Tiger create stir in Ganjam

Fear gripped villagers along Ganjam-Gajapati border as pugmarks of a suspected Royal Bengal Tiger have been discovered in the region. This has further created a stir among the locals as the wild animal is believed to have killed several goats and cattle in the last few days.

As per the locals, the Royal Bengal Tiger has been roaming in the area in search of food for the last few days. Pugmarks of the big cat have been found in the nearby areas, said a local. 

While the big cat is often killing wild animals for its food, it is also roaming in human habitation at times and killing cattle and goats, he claimed.

As per reports, the Forest Department personnel have intensified patrolling in the nearby areas and keeping a close watch on the movement of the big cat. 

After the big cat was found haunting near Goddess Balakumari temple at Chikiti, the Forest Department officials are sensitizing people to remain alert and cooperate with the department personnel. Posters have been put up at different places to sensitize people. Trap cameras have been installed at various places to track the movement of the tiger.

The pugmarks of the big cat were first found in a farmland at Narasinghagada on October 26. Later, the tiger reportedly killed some cattle and goats in the nearby area.

A couple of days back, a Royal Bengal Tiger was spotted while crossing National Highway No. 16 near Roland College on the outskirts of Berhampur city. The video of the big cat crossing the highway was captured by a car camera and the clip went viral on social media platforms.

As per the forest officials, the tiger has been roaming in the area in search of food for the last few days. 

Meanwhile, the local residents have expressed their dissatisfaction by alleging that the Forest Department is not taking any steps to drive away the big cat from the area.

“We are mainly farmers and we depend on cultivation and livestock for our livelihood. It’s now harvesting time. However, we are not able to go to our farmlands as we are fearful of the tiger. Though the pugmarks of the tiger have been found in the area, the Forest Department is doing nothing,” rued Jogendra Pradhan, a local resident.

“The tiger’s movement is currently within the forest. We request the local people not to get panicked by watching fake videos circulating through various social media platforms. We have set up camera traps. We are also doing 24x7 hour monitoring to watch the movement of the big cat,” said Berhampur DFO Soni Khokar.