The environment and forests department is set to end the special search operation it had launched to trace a tiger that had strayed out of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve last month.

On February 22, the tiger was first sighted in a wheat field at Ramkarariya village under East Champaran's Paharpur block. It is 100km east of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) and near the Gandak river. Forest officials, on March 3, found the pugmarks in the vicinity of the village. Around 60 tiger trackers were pressed into service in the area to locate the animal. Senior department officials, including director (ecology and environment), Bharat Jyoti, had also visited the village on March 7.

'The detailed search of the tiger trackers suggests the animal has returned to its original habitat - the tiger reserve,' said East Champaran divisional forest officer Mokhtarul Haque on Tuesday.

He added that pugmarks of the tiger were found near Bettiah on March 3, around 8km north of VTR, suggesting the animal's retreat to the reserve.

VTR deputy director Amit Kumar, too, maintained that the tiger might have retreated towards the forest as the animal was not traced by the team of trackers.

The field officials have, however, been directed to keep vigil around Ramkarariya village for a few more days before withdrawing the search. Amit said a review meeting would be convened on Tuesday evening to decide whether the search operation can be continued for a few more days.

In December 2011, too, one tiger was traced in Vaishali near the Gandak, around 260km southeast of VTR.