Villagers claim to have seen striped big cat and two cubs 5 km from IT park; forest division experts say it may be leopard
Villagers claim to have seen striped big cat and two cubs 5 km from IT park; forest division experts say it may be leopard
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Nere, a sleepy village five kilometre from Hinjewadi IT Park, is suddenly buzzing with activity. Yesterday forest officers from Paud division descended on this tiny village last afternoon after the locals claimed to have spotted a tiger on Tuesday night. The village, which is otherwise known for its sugarcane fields and nearby sugar factory, has been gaping in fear since the news spread.
Changdev More, Ramdas Mali and Bhausaheb Thackeray, who work in a brick factory, were curious after they noticed some movement near the sugarcane fields. After looking looking closely, they determined there was a tiger sitting there with its cubs. "To our disbelief it was a tiger sitting with two cubs. We did not realise what it was and suddenly saw that it got up and disappeared in the fields," said More.
Mali said that they spotted the tiger passing through the field. "We spotted the tiger on the barren land next to the sugarcane field," he said.
A villager identified as Jadhav said that they did not believe the incident. "The villagers are not in a mood to accept that there is a tiger roaming around the village. The tiger has done no harm to us or to our animals so we are not sure about its presence," said Jadhav. "Forest officers collected the imprints of the animal and its two cubs by spilling plaster of Paris on the field. They have confirmed the presence of two cubs like the brick factory workers."
The news of the tiger was immediately reported to Paud Forest division and S S Buchade, a forest guard, was sent to the spot. Buchade collected the pugmarks that were sent to Paud Forest Division's office.
The experts are expected to file their report today, which will finalise the identity of the animal.
"Villagers have claimed that it was a tiger. But our experience tells us that the villagers often fail to gauge the difference between a tiger and a leopard and often call a leopard a tiger," said Buchade. He, however, added that only experts would be able to tell whether it was a tiger or a leopard.
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