Aizawl, July 7: The team of investigators that visited Sailam to look into reports of attacks on domestic animals by a tiger have returned without any such evidence.

Chief wildlife warden L.R. Thanga, head of the investigation team, said the probe had been hampered by the monsoon, with the rain having obliterated all the spoors on the ground.

Thanga said the investigators failed to ascertain whether the animal was a tiger or a leopard. However, according to the villagers the predator was big cat.

?Since no carcass was found and no pugmarks visible, we could not ascertain whether the animal said to be on the prowl is a tiger or a leopard. And there is no way we can trace it as it has stopped attacking domestic animals for the time being,? the warden said.

He added that had there been any carcasses of the dead animals at hand for examination, the probe team could have identified the animal from its bite marks.

?Three pigs and one dog have reportedly been casualties of the wild animal. We will, of course, be doling out compensation as necessary,? he said, adding that the compensation, however, would not be of any large amount.

Asked whether the animal would be killed, Thanga said it was unlikely. ?Unless there is very real threat to human lives, endangered species such as tigers and leopards are rarely condemned to death.?

He said some fire-crackers had been distributed to the villagers to enable them to scare away the animal. ?We instructed them to burst crackers on the outskirts of the village before going to bed. This will scare off any wild animal lurking in the bushes,? Thanga said.