Forest officials of the Jonai Forest Range under the Dhemaji Territorial Forest Division have confirmed the movement of a Royal Bengal tigress along with her cubs in the riverine areas of the Poba Reserve Forest over the past few days.
According to forest officials, multiple pugmarks of the tigress were spotted in the Oiramghat and Kobuchapori areas of the reserve forest, which lies adjacent to the Pasighat Reserve Forest and the Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
Officials said the tigress had recently killed a domestic cow that had wandered into a forested grazing area near Oiramghat.
Following reports of tiger movement in the area, forest authorities have alerted residents of nearby villages and advised them not to enter forest areas unnecessarily. Villagers have also been urged to keep their domestic cattle away from the forest zone.
Forest personnel said tiger pugmarks had occasionally been observed in the Jonai range earlier as well. However, they noted that the reserve forests in the area are generally not considered a regular tiger habitat, though tigers from distant locations are known to visit during the breeding season.
In a recent development, wildlife officials from the Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary confirmed the presence of Royal Bengal tigers in the region after camera-trap surveys conducted earlier this month captured photographic evidence of tiger movement.
Forest and wildlife officials expressed optimism over the return of tigers to the reserve forest areas after nearly two decades, describing it as a positive sign of successful conservation efforts.
Authorities have appealed to residents of fringe villages not to panic over the tiger sightings, stating that the arrival of tiger species in the area reflects improving environmental conditions and could also support future eco-tourism prospects.
