Paralakhemundi: The pugmark of a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) was spotted around two kilometers away from Paralakhemundi town in Gajapati district of Odisha and on Mahendratanaya riverbed near Sarali village in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, an official source said today.

Following which, Gajapati forest department suspected the presence of a big cat in nearby areas. Forest personnel have visited and advised the residents of fringe villages bordering Andhra asking them not to come out of their houses after the fall of night. They also appealed to the residents not to go anywhere alone during the day hours, Paralakhemundi DFO S Anand informed.

Worth mentioning, a Royal Bengal Tiger had previously killed a cow of one resident named Nrusingha Nayak from Santoshpur village of Gandahati panchayat in Gajapati district, on October 20. The tiger left the carcass in half-eaten condition near a bush around a furlong away from the village.

This was confirmed later from video footage as the predator was captured in a camera trap installed by the forest department. Forest personnel combed the nearby areas day and night to catch hold of the big cat but to no avail. The tiger was suspected to have trespassed into Andhra.

After a gap of around a month, a Royal Bengal Tiger has appeared again. “The residents of nearby areas are in panic. Farmers are scared to go out for their agricultural activities,” a villager expressed.

“The Forest department is keeping a strict vigil on the movement of the tiger,” the DFO asserted.