The fugitive Palamau tiger has finally sneaked into the Bengal forests, crossing the Subarnarekha River in the early hours of today, in a similar manner to tigress Zeenat – an escapee from Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha – who intruded on 20 December last. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, just five days ago, expressed her concern over repeated incidents of tiger ingress into Bengal – once from Odisha and the other from Jharkhand. Senior Forest officials confirmed its presence in the Kakrajhore jungles of Belpahari in the Jhargram-Purulia bordering stretch. Pugmarks of the renegade tiger were visible this morning at Mainakdiha in Belpahari and Jamunagora near Purulia’s Bandwan.

Dr S Kulandaivel, Chief Conservator of Forests (Central), told The Statesman: “We have already started placing our resources at strategic locations for close monitoring.” Dr Kulandaivel’s office in Durgapur has begun 24/7 surveillance of the tiger’s possible movements. The signals transmitted by the radio collar of tigress Zeenat incidentally helped locate her in Belpahari. The Palamau tiger, as the senior officials explained, “comes from the wild and for that is not equipped with any such device like Zeenat who had escaped soon after her soft release into captivity.”

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On 23 December, Zeenat’s presence was felt at the Raika hillock in Purulia’s Bandwan. The officials apprehend: “This tiger is suspected to follow the same route to Bandwan in a day or two.” The officials estimate that this tiger would also take shelter at the same Raika hillock in Bandwan. Zeenat was finally tranquilised in Ranibandh in Bankura and on 1 January, she was deported back to the Similipal Tiger Reserve. On 2 January, the paw impressions of the Palamau tiger were visible at Gangudih near Chandil in Jharkhand, which triggered panic in at least 18 villages under the Chowka PS area there. The tiger then continued moving between Chandil and Dalma Forest areas. “On Friday, we detected its pugmarks in East Dalma patches,” said Saba Alam Ansari, Divisional Forest Officer, Jamshedpur, today.

He is also handling the role of Field Director, Dalma Elephant Project. He added: “It is assumed that the tiger might have followed the elephant corridor route.” Regarding its presence in Jhargram’s Belpahari today, Ansari said late this afternoon: “We have gathered some information like that from unverified sources, but the Bengal Forest officials were yet to inform us.” On last Tuesday, the tiger’s footprints were visible in Chandil areas – about 16 to 20 km from Barabazar in Purulia, however. Earlier, it had taken temporary shelter in Balidih jungles – far from Dalma and about 24 km from Purulia – for about three consecutive days. Sumit Mahato – a boy from Balidih, while supervising the grazing of cattle sitting on a treetop, witnessed how the full-grown tiger had preyed on a cow. Another resident, Mongal Singh Munda – who had arrived at the place a few minutes later – also claimed to be a witness to the predation.