Big cat scare grips Bastar village after large pugmarks found; forest department sounds alert

Raipur: Large, fresh pugmarks found near agricultural fields and forest fringes in Bastar’s Darbha area have triggered heightened surveillance by the forest department, with forest officials confirming that a member of the big cat family was definitely around. They said it was too early to determine whether the animal was a tiger or a leopard, as scientific analysis and camera-trap evidence awaited.The pugmarks were spotted near Kurandi village, where residents claimed to have seen unusually large footprints close to cultivated land. The development comes days after reports of a cattle kill and signs of a large carnivore’s movement in the Kekra-Cherbehar area, prompting authorities to step up monitoring across the landscape. Villagers claimed the carcass bore signs of an attack by a large carnivore and had been dragged into nearby fields. From the size of the pugmarks and the style of preying a cow strongly indicate it was a tiger.Forest officials said multiple tracking teams have been deployed to search the area, while camera traps have been installed along suspected movement routes. Plaster casts of the pugmarks are also being prepared for scientific examination to determine whether they belong to a tiger. Locals said that it appears to be a tigress.“Identification based on pugmarks, especially during the monsoon, can be misleading as soft soil and rain often distort their size and shape. We can definitely say it’s a member of big cat family. Confirmation will depend on scientific analysis and camera trap evidence,” Stylo Mandavi, chief conservator of forests (wildlife) in Jagdalpur told TOI.The alert has put nearby villages on edge. Residents said they have stopped venturing into forests after dusk and are keeping livestock in secure enclosures instead of leaving them out overnight.Officials have issued an advisory asking villagers not to venture into forests alone, keep children under close supervision at night and immediately report any sightings or fresh animal signs to the forest department.Kurandi had also witnessed reports of tiger presence nearly a decade ago.