Pugmarks found near Anjunem dam point to tiger presence in Goa

Panaji, Jan 25 (PTI) Pug marks found in the Anjunemdam catchment area in Goa have indicated towards the presenceof the Royal Bengal Tiger in the state''s Mhadei WildlifeSanctuary, located in Sattari taluka.

Government officials and a senior environmentalist foundthe pug marks near the dam yesterday confirming the presenceof tiger in the area.

"The pug marks are that of a tiger and a cub. They arefound in the catchment area of the dam," Rajendra Kerkar, arenowned environmentalist, told PTI today.

Residents living in the vicinity of the dam have alsosupported the claim as they have been hearing the tiger roarsince a fortnight along with the security guards posted there.

Kerkar said the presence of a tiger and cub has been felthere since December 2010 when a local Pandurang Gawas and hisson saw the wild cat crossing the road that passes alongsidethe dam.

Interestingly, last year state forest department hadrecorded tiger pug marks in this area during the wildlifecensus conducted in the state with the help of Dehradun-basedWildlife Institute of India (WII).

Yesterday, Parshuram Kambli, working on the dam, saw thepug marks and immediately informed senior officials.

The State Water Resource department''s Assistant EngineerM P Hudelgaddi further passed on the information to the Goaforest department about the pug marks to which a senior forestofficial said that they will be sending a team of experts atthe dam site to get details of the pug marks.

As per the last census, Goa had four tigers in the stateforests.