‘Tiger on prowl’ in Tandwa, locals told to be vigilant

Chatra: A wild animal, suspected to be a tiger, has killed several cattle in Tandwa forest of Chatra district, prompting forest officials to issue a warning to the villagers.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) Mukesh Kumar on Tuesday said tigers frequent Tandwa, which borders Balumath in Latehar district and is a corridor of the Palamu Tiger Reserve. On October 10, three cattle were killed by a wild animal in Misraul-Padampur forest of Tandwa.The manner in which the cattle were killed and the flesh was eaten suggested the presence of a tiger. Earlier, four cattle were killed in a similar way at Marangloia village.
Forest range officer Mukti Prakash Panna collected the pugmarks of the wild animal, indicating it was a tiger. An advisory was circulated in all villages to remain alert and take precautions when entering the forest area.
Chatra is not only a corridor of the Palamu Tiger Reserve but also known for its dense forest and the presence of numerous wild animals, including deer. Earlier this year, a tiger was sighted at the Hazaribag wildlife sanctuary, having reached there through the Gandaa corridor, forest officials said .
Officials have collected pugmarks, hair, and excreta of the animal for sending the samples to the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun. They also took photographs and videos from the site.
DFO Kumar said, “The collected samples, photographs, and videos would be sent to the Dehradun institute in a day or two. We will also compensate the villagers whose cattle were killed by the wild animal. Local forest officers have been instructed to provide a report to initiate the compensation process.”