Fresh pugmarks spotted by the villagers have put the forest department staff on alert as they fear that the Palamu Range tiger in the neighbouring state of Jharkhand has returned once again to the forests in Purulia for the third time.
The same Raika hillock, where tigress Zeenat had taken shelter for days in December 2024 is turning out to be a safe haven for the Palamau tiger. It seems the tiger from Jharkhand’s Palamu district too is resting under the dense forest cover.
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.
The three-and-half-year-old Royal Bengal tigress, last month crossed the borders after her soft release along with her another mate. This was a part to strengthen the tiger population of the reserve.
