Panic after tiger strays into villages
TNN 16 November 2009, 04:31am IST
KOLKATA: Panic has gripped residents of Dayapur and Jamespur villages in the Sunderbans following sightings of tigers for the last three days. The forest department has set up cages in key areas in the hope of trapping the prowling cat.
A tiger has been spotted intermittently in Dayapur since Friday. And in Jamespur, pug marks of another tiger were seen early on Sunday. A team of foresters rushed to Jamespur and found more pug marks. Atul Mondal, a local, said some were found right in front of his house.
“I woke up in the morning and saw pug marks in front of my house. I immediately informed my neighbours,” he said. A cage has been set up at the opposite end of Jamespur village.
Forest department officials say according to the pug marks, the tiger returned to the jungle on Sunday itself but there was no certainty that it would not come back to the locality to hunt.
The forest department is keeping a close watch for the tiger that has been spotted in Dayapur as well. Officials say the tiger came out of Pirkhali forest and crossed Gomar river to enter Dayapur in Gosaba.
