Correspondent
RUKSIN, May 13: A Royal Bengal tigress with two cubs is reportedly creating panic among the livestock owners in Ruksin, Bilat, and Ledum hill in Pasighat West area in East Siang district.
On 7 May, the tigress pounced on a cow in a farmhouse in Yeklong hill near Debing village (under Ruksin forest range) and dragged it into the jungles in broad daylight, locals said.
According to the farmers, the tigress is roaming in the hilly forests adjacent to Gutin Reserve Forest and preying on domestic animals. At least six mithuns and a cow were killed by the tigress in the last week, they said.
On being informed, wildlife officials from Pasighat visited the spot and collected the remains of the killed animals.
The locals said they are making all-out efforts to cage the tiger.
“We have informed it to the wildlife officials in Pasighat and they recently visited the spot. Efforts are being made to cage the tiger,” said Tamat Jonnom of Ruksin, who is rearing a herd of cows in his horticulture farm at Yeklong hills.
Meanwhile, the wildlife officials were not convinced by the claims, stating that they could not trace pug marks during the last survey.
“It is yet to be confirmed that the mithuns and the cattle were killed by a Royal Bengal tiger. These animals might have been killed by leopards, which are found in the reserve forest. Still, we will report the case to the higher authority to conduct an investigation and give compensation the livestock owners,” said Pasighat DFO (Wildlife) Tasang Taga.
The range forest officers of Nari and Ruksin, who look after the reserve forest, stated that they are ignorant about the incident.
Gutin reserve forest, under the Pasighat territorial forest division, falls in Nari (lower portion) and Ruksin (upper portion) territorial ranges. The reserve forest is surrounded by Nari, Depi, Debing, Rayang, Bilat, and Ledum villages.
