Pug marks of escaped tiger found near Nandankanan safari area

BHUBANESWAR: The Bengal tiger which recently escaped after jumping an 18-ft high enclosure at Nandankanan Zoo has been found to be roaming around the park's tiger safari, sparking fears among locals.

"Fresh pug marks were found near the zoo's tiger safari. "That indicates the tiger has been visiting the area," said chief conservator of forests, JD Sharma.

The tiger, which had miraculously walked into the safari area at the zoo on its own on April 30, later escaped on May 31 after jumping its enclosure.

Sharma said it might have taken shelter in a nearby jungle, adding that it had not harmed anybody so far.

Meanwhile, Odisha forests and environment minister Bijayshree Routray said that "a three-member team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority ( NTCA) will visit the state soon and take a decision whether to recapture the tiger".

Routray has appealed to locals not to panic over the presence of the tiger in the area.