Giant Royal Bengal Tiger Captured at Neora Valley of North Bengal

Nilotpal Sen (TNI) TNI News Service (TNS)

Webdesk, TNI Kalimpong, 27^th December, 2023: In North Bengal’s Neora Valley Jungle, sightings of the Royal Bengal Tiger have once again thrilled wildlife enthusiasts. The giant tiger was captured on camera traps set by the Forest Department, walking along the paths of the hilly jungle. The recent photograph provides a clearer view of the tiger’s habitat within the dense forest. According to forest department sources, the images released this time were captured by the leaf trap cameras installed in October and November of this year. Notably, the photographs reveal a healthy tiger strolling through the mountainous jungle. However, experts are not certain whether this tiger is one previously documented or possibly a new addition to the jungle.

Information from the forest department indicates that the pictures were obtained from leaf trap cameras installed in various locations of Neora Valley Jungle during October and November of this year. Repeated instances of capturing images of the Royal Bengal Tiger have led wildlife experts to believe that there might be multiple tigers residing in the region. Nevertheless, the exact identity of the tiger captured in these recent images is still under analysis.

The history of tiger sightings in this jungle dates back to December 19, 2017, when a local driver, Anmol Chhetri, first captured tiger images using a mobile camera while traversing the road from Lava to Reeshap. Initially thought to be a tiger from a different jungle, subsequent events led the forest department to install trap cameras in various locations within Neora Valley to monitor tiger movement. These cameras have since captured multiple images of Royal Bengal Tigers, suggesting the presence of a thriving tiger population in the region. While no tiger images were obtained in 2021, trap cameras deployed in October and January of the current year have once again captured tiger sightings. Forest officials are now confident that Neora Valley has become a vital habitat for Royal Bengal Tigers.

The forest department has initiated steps to include this hilly jungle into the Project Tiger initiative for tiger conservation. The DFO Dijjo Pratim Sen of the Gorumara Division in the forest department reported two instances of tiger images being captured last month. The remote location of Neora Valley, coupled with the community’s efforts to preserve nature, has contributed to the jungle becoming a secure habitat for tigers. Wildlife experts are closely monitoring the situation in the region.

Photo: Forest department’s TrapCam (Original Image)