Lucknow: Eight days after a tiger killed a farmer in Sitapur, the big cat remains untraced, triggering panic across several villages. Fresh pugmarks and the first trap-camera images have confirmed its continued presence in the area.The pugmarks were spotted on Thursday morning in a field owned by local farmer Vishnu.Villagers claimed they noticed both large and small paw prints, leading to fears that the tigress may be roaming with cubs, further heightening concerns over public safety.The latest sighting comes after the death of Kamal Kishore, whose mutilated body was recovered from a field on July 15.The killing sparked anger among residents, who accused the forest department of failing to act despite repeated complaints of attacks on cattle in the area nearly three weeks earlier. Villagers had surrounded forest officials after the incident, alleging negligence and demanding immediate action.Following the latest confirmation of the tigress’s presence, the department has intensified combing operations with the help of specialist teams from Rae Bareli and Katarniaghat. Officials are using drones, trap cameras and ground surveillance to track the animal.Divisional forest officer Naveen Khandelwal said evidence, including pugmarks along the Sarayan river belt, indicated tiger movement in the area. He urged residents not to venture alone into fields or nearby forests and to immediately report any sightings or suspicious animal activity.
