Gujarat sees a tiger after decades, cat hunt on

Ahmedabad : The Gujarat Forest Department started a cat hunt soon after a picture of a tiger crossing a road in Lunawada taluka of Mahisagar district went viral on the social media, said a senior official.

A local government school teacher has claimed of watching the tiger crossing a road near Boriya village in Mahisagar, over 120 kilometres from Ahmedabad, on February 6 and clicked its picture on his mobile phone and shared it with friends on social media platforms.

Soon after the photo went viral, the forest department officials got alarmed with the presence of a tiger in the area.

Acting on Mr Mahera's claims, the forest department set up two camera traps and deployed staff to confirm the big cat's presence, a senior official said.

"The photo of the tiger has gone viral and we can't yet say if it is fake. Since a citizen has claimed this, we have begun scanning the area. We have placed two camera traps and the number will be increased," Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Akshay Saxena said.

"Our staff is trying to locate pug marks and scat (excreta). There is no evidence yet of the tiger in the area," he added.

"Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are 100 kilometres away. It is surprising if a big cat arrived here without anyone getting to know. We are trying to check and confirm what direct or indirect evidence there could be," Mr Saxena said.