A tiger has been caught on camera in Palamu Tiger Reserve after a gap of about 10 months. Officials said that the tiger on camera has been reported from the forest of PTR’s Chhipadohar East Range on the intervening night of February 17, 18.
Field director PTR Mohan Lal said, “Our officials have told me this in no unequivocal tone.” Lal said he too was most worried about the big cats not seen here since long and there were too many versions for it.
Sources said the prolonged absence of tiger or tigers here since April last year had sent in tremendous worries among the PTR officials here and at the Ranchi PCCF office. However, the camera trapping of the tiger has come as a big shot in the arm of the PTR officials here.
Sources said that it was the then field director of PTR M P Singh when this big cat had gone invisible but the officer had always maintained that if tiger is away from here it will return one day.
PTR officials are now feverishly looking for scat of this tiger on camera. If there is the tiger then there is the kill too and in this case too the kill may be not too any far.
Sources said the camera trapping of the tiger has enkindled the hopes of the PTR officials who were getting contented till recent past to have another carnivore in leopard, whose presence in PTR is now most noticeable.
An insider in PTR said such was the absence of tigers here that PTR officials were almost running after leopards, hyena wild dogs etc. Sources said a tusk was also recovered from the house cum clinic of a quack in Garu besides there has been no conflict case of man and wild life here in PTR.