The rare sighting of a prowling tiger in Siolim has sparked fear among the residents of the calm village in North Goa. It is reported that ‘strange’ happenings are going on inside the thick forested hillside of Siolim. According to a man who works at a celebrity’s residence as a gardener in Siolim, the tiger was seen by him on August 20, near the barbed wire fence of the bungalow.
Driven by panic the man couldn’t speak for some time after seeing the tiger. Some locals believe the big cat must have made its way through the Tillari canal. Footprints and a carcass of a dog have been found along the canal. Strange noises have been heard like a cattle being attacked by a big cat on its neck.
According to a villager, “Many cattle, and even dogs, could be seen passing through this area. But out of ten, only two canines can be seen now, while cattle have stopped grazing on the hill slope.”
Goa to be declared as a ‘Tiger Corridor”
Constant evidence of the presence of these big cats in the forests of Goa and the recent sightings of the prowling Tiger in Siolim necessitates that Goa be declared as a ‘Tiger Corridor’.
“If there are tigers, then the region should be declared as the corridor. But right now we have initiated a long-term study about presence of tigers in this area, and we will be able to conclude about presence of wild cats only after we receive the report,” state environment minister Rajendra Arlekar told reporters after launching a website of the forest department in January this year.
