The Royal Bengal Tiger of Maipith in South 24-Parganas playing hide and seek, has finally been captured and caged and released in forest.

On Monday, the tiger underwent a health check-up, and the process to release it into the deep forest has begun. A team of veterinarians examined the tiger today. Even at midnight, a significant crowd gathered to catch a glimpse. Forest officials transported the caged tiger, covered with tarpaulin, via boat during the night. On Sunday morning, reports of a tiger entering the Kishorimohanpur area in Kultali, South 24-Parganas, prompted forest officials to begin monitoring. The forest area was surrounded with nets, restricting the tiger’s movements within a specific zone. A cage was set up in the enclosed area, using a goat as bait. Attracted by the bait, the tiger entered the cage on Sunday night. According to forest department sources, the tiger underwent health examinations on Monday and will soon be released into a deep forest. The South 24-Parganas divisional forest officer (DFO), Nisha Goswami, confirmed that the adult male tiger is currently healthy.

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On Sunday morning, residents of Maipith spotted pugmarks near the Ganga riverbank and informed the forest department. Upon arrival, forest officials examined the paw prints. Locals claimed the tiger had crossed the Thakuran river and roamed the forest adjacent to the locality. That part of the forest was subsequently enclosed with nylon nets. Tiger sightings in Maipith are not new. Over the past week, tigers have entered the Maipith coastal police station area from the Azmalmari forest in the Sundarbans three times.

In Jangalmahal too the fear of tigers has emerged anew. Now, locals claim to have spotted Zeenat’s mate in the area. The forest department is working to capture the tiger, but they have yet to trap it in the Belpahari-Purulia region.