Ahmedabad: Gujarat forest officials are investigating the possibility of a second tiger in the Ratanmahal area after discovering fresh pugmarks and a blurred camera-trap photograph. A comprehensive analysis is underway to determine whether the lone confirmed tiger in the sanctuary area has found company. Officials reported finding a new set of pugmarks that appeared noticeably smaller than those belonging to the known big cat. The size discrepancy has led field teams to investigate whether another tiger may be traversing the same Ratanmahal landscape.Senior forest officials in Gandhinagar acknowledged that a camera trap captured an image, but it lacks sufficient clarity for definitive identification. According to officials, the image appears to show a fast-moving animal, possibly pursuing prey.The latest findings have rekindled speculation about a second tiger that first emerged earlier this season. In Dec, forest teams documented two distinct sets of pugmarks during standard monitoring operations. At that time, officials attributed the variation to environmental factors rather than multiple animals. “Saturated ground conditions can dramatically alter track impressions. The same animal’s pugmarks may appear entirely different due to paw slippage, varying depth of impression, and the way weight distribution changes on unstable terrain,” an official explained.The newly discovered pugmarks were near Ratanmahal, according to a senior forest official. Staff involved in the tracking operation noted that the recent prints differ from previous recordings, with size variation being a key element under review.However, experts cautioned that pugmark analysis alone carries inherent uncertainties, particularly since track impressions vary across substrates such as dry soil, moist earth, sand, and leaf litter.Forest authorities are now examining additional field evidence, including stride measurements, movement patterns, and the chronological sequence of sightings across different locations. Additional camera traps are being placed in the area to maximize chances of capturing clear photographs that can definitively establish whether a second tiger is present. Surveillance efforts have been intensified across the 120 sq km territory occupied by the tiger that has been in Ratanmahal since last Feb. “Confirmation of a second tiger would be significant for our conservation strategies and territorial management plans. It would either indicate that a new individual has entered this habitat or that an animal using the same range has remained undetected,” the official said.
