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Bengal

Tiger pugmark at Pithabakra forest triggers panic

Kolkata: A fresh pugmark found at Pithabakra forest in Bankura's Simlipal area triggered tension among locals on Wednesday morning.
After being informed, the district police Superintendent and senior Forest department officials rushed to the spot. The villagers residing in the forest's adjoining areas were alerted and told not to venture into the forest. A search operation was started by the forest department officials in the area.
There was already a deployment of forest personnel in those areas of Bankura to capture the Royal Bengal tiger which has been roaming around. Drones are also being used to locate the tiger.
Following the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the state Forest department and police have engaged drones to carry out the search operations in the forest areas of the three districts — West Midnapore, Jhargram and Bankura. According to a forest department official, it becomes difficult for drones to capture clear photographs in certain portions of the forest.
The forest department failed to find out any trace of the tiger despite a thorough search conducted by its officials till Wednesday evening. It may be mentioned that drones were also used for the tiger's search in the nearby areas on Tuesday but all efforts have gone in vain.
The forest personnel are conducting awareness campaigns in the villages of all the districts particularly the adjoining forest areas asking the villagers not to enter the forest. Earlier, villagers had apprehended that there may more than one tiger as pugmarks have been detected in all the three districts.
The state Forest department on Tuesday confirmed that there was only one tiger roaming in the forest.
Tranquilising experts have also been deployed inside the forests so that they can capture the tiger once it is sighted. The animal was first caught on camera inside Lalgarh forest in Jhargram a week ago.

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