Pug marks of adult female tiger, cub found in Banki forest

"We saw clear pug marks of an adult tiger and a cub near a water source in the area yesterday and believe that it could be of a mother tiger and her cub," said local DFO Siba Narayan Mohapatra.

While the strides of the adult tiger measured about 55 inches, the strides of the cub measured between 25 and 27 inches, he said, adding never before tigers are traced in the area although, leopards had been traced here earlier.

The pug marks were spotted at a time when forest officials are worried over straying of elephants to un-presumed areas forcing them to believe that the so called "elephant corridor" is fast turning out to be misnomer.

Meanwhile, one person was killed when a tusker trampled him in village Pushpangi near Banki under Banki-Damapada forest division, about 20 kms from here yesterday.

Forest officials said jumbos were never seen in this part of the area before and seeing the gravity of injury suffered by the victim they believe that the villager might have come face to face with the tusker in the early hours of the day when the visibility in the area was dim due to heavy fog.