Tiger Pugmarks Spotted in Odisha’s Keonjhar Forests, Officials Step Up Monitoring
Bhubaneswar: Wildlife officials in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Monday confirmed the presence of tiger pug tracks in Machhagada district, which lies below the Patana forest range near the Karanjia border, reviving interest in the movement of the big cats through the forest corridors of north Odisha.
According to forest officials, a patrolling team spotted the footprints during a routine inspection in the protected forest. The discovery enabled monitoring to be intensified across the region, which lies along an important wildlife corridor connecting the Similipal Tiger Reserve with adjacent forest sections.
“We have recorded fresh tiger pug prints at Machhagada hit near Karanjia border under Saharpada division. The impressions match those of a sub-adult tiger documented earlier in the area,” Keonjhar District Forest Officer (DFO) Dhanraj Hanumant Dhamdhere said.
He added that the ministry has deployed special teams for continuous surveillance and set up 35 camera traps to capture photographic evidence of tiger movement.
“According to information received from Similipal Tiger Reserve officials, a tiger aged about 20-22 months had previously strayed from the central region towards Thakurmunda-Karanjia region. Recent pug tracks indicate that the same animal may be passing through Keonjhar forests,” Dhamdhere said.
Officials have identified a wide tiger corridor stretching from Similipal and Thakurmunda to Rebena and Satkosia, passing through Anandpur, Santoshpur Reserve Forest and Atei Reserve Forest. The Atei forest in particular has been described as a dense and ecologically suitable habitat for large carnivores.
“Although no direct sightings have yet been reported, the presence of pug tracks indicates that tigers continue to move from time to time across this landscape,” DFO said, emphasizing the importance of maintaining habitat connectivity and minimizing human interference. he said.
The forest department has appealed to nearby villagers to be careful and avoid going deep into the forest. Awareness studies and joint patrols were initiated to ensure both the safety of the society and the protection of wildlife.
