A 40-year-old West Bengal tourist, who had gone missing since Tuesday while roaming in the hills of Panchalingeswar, was traced after 24 hours on Wednesday.
According to sources, Arinadam Mukhrajee of Kalyani under Nadia district of Bengal while had come to the tourist place along with his wife and a 10-year-old son, he was missing while descending from the hill during lunch hours.
The family members had informed the local police and forest personnel about the incident.
Although a search operation was launched by a team of police and forest officials assisted by local villagers, yet they failed to locate him.
Arindam had left his mobile phone with his wife , which made it more difficult to track him.
However, the family members got a call from an usnknown number and it was Arindam's. He informed that he was safe in Babandha village, a patch in the foothill of Panchalingeswar.
After he was rescued from the village by the team, he told that he was disoriented on the way. He also shared his experience in the deep forests and hills.
He said after losing the correct path, he took shelter in a cave and saw both a wild bear and an elephant in the night. Although they came closer to him yet they didn’t harm him. The elephant was throughout night near the cave yet moved away towards morning. He after daybreak moved out and finding a human habitation reached there.
It is pertinent to note that Panchalingeswar which is surrounded by the Kuldiha sanctuary is infested by bears and elephants.