Elusive tiger found dead inside Baghghora forest

Kolkata: The Royal Bengal tiger which was spotted by the local villagers inside the forest areas of West Midnapore, Jhargram and Bankura on several occasions since early March, was found dead inside Baghghora forest, around 25 Km away from Lalgarh in Jhargram district.

It was first spotted on March 2 by a camera which was installed in Lalgarh forest.

Despite several attempts by the state forest department it could not be captured in the past one-and-a-half month.

A senior official of the state forest department has said the tiger was found dead with various injury marks on its body.

The reason of its death is yet to be confirmed by the department after the autopsy is done.

"We heard that several injury marks were there on its body indicating that it might have been killed by local tribes. After post-mortem, we can confirm how the big cat was killed," a senior forest department official added.

He also said the local villagers essentially the tribes who go for hunting during this time of the year to celebrate their hunting festival were asked not to go into the forest as animals might prove to be fatal.

It was alleged that those taking part in the hunting festival might have killed the tiger as a spear was found stuck in the throat of the animal when its carcass was removed by the forest department officials.

Forest officials had earlier said the tiger might have sneaked into the forest from Simlipal reserve in neighbouring Odisha.

The forest department officials and police faced difficulties to remove the animal from the area as hundreds of villagers had gathered around the scene.

Questions have been raised on why the forest department officials allowed the local villagers to conduct the hunting festival after pugmarks were found two days ago near Lalgarh.

The forest department took several steps including the use of drones to detect the presence of the tiger.

A few days ago, the tiger was spotted by the villagers who tried to capture the animal by the help of a huge net. The tiger managed to flee before the forest officials reached the spot.

The carcass of the animal was taken to Midnapore for post mortem.

It is an unfortunate incident and a sad day for Bengal as well. Forest officials had put in best efforts to catch it but they failed.

There was always a threat to the tiger as it was straying in the villages, adjoining to the forests, said former Atanu Raha, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

"Since presence of the tiger was confirmed in Lalgarh forest, our men had tried their best to catch the big cat. But unfortunately, we failed to rescue it alive," state forest minister Binay Krishna Burman.