Purulia, West Bengal, Jan 21: A tiger from Jharkhand has been spotted in Purulia district, West Bengal, as trap cameras captured its image on Saturday night. Forest officials have deployed extensive resources, including live trap cameras and expert teams, to safely track
“One of our trap cameras was able to take its pictures. The situation remains the same, and we are tracking the tiger,” said Debal Roy, the head of the forest force in West Bengal, in a statement to The Indian Express.
S Kulandaival, Chief Conservator of Forests, added, “There are many trap cameras placed around the area where the tiger is located. One of them was able to take two pictures while it passed by. The tiger is presently in a forest area in Purulia district in Bengal, bordering Jharkhand.”
The tiger is currently near the Raika Hill area in Purulia, having traveled from Jhargram after entering West Bengal from Jharkhand on January 12. Forest officials have installed over 90 pairs of trap cameras, six smart cameras with live feeds, and an expert team from the Sundarbans equipped with two tranquilliser guns. Villages in the vicinity of the forest have also been alerted to the tiger’s presence.
The current operation follows a similar incident involving Zeenat, a three-year-old tigress, in December 2024. Zeenat was sedated and captured in Bankura after traveling nearly 300 km from the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha. She had been introduced to Similipal from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve on November 14 as part of a gene pool strengthening program. Zeenat escaped Similipal on December 8 and journeyed through Jharkhand and West Bengal before being captured on December 29, 2024.
Commenting on the situation, Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda said, “The tiger, if captured, would be relocated in Bengal and not returned.”
Experts explained that it is common for tigers to travel long distances in search of suitable territories with an adequate prey base. The ongoing efforts in Purulia underscore the complexities of managing tiger movements across state borders while ensuring their safety and minimizing risks to local communities.
