The remains of the sambar. Picture courtesy: Apurba Sen

Cooch Behar, Nov. 4: The predator and the prey are making a comeback.

A forest tract just 23km from here — that once used to be the happy hunting grounds for the erstwhile maharajas of Cooch Behar and their shikari guests — is slowly returning to its pristine state.

This morning, the half-eaten carcass of a sambar was found in the Rasomoti forest, setting to rest all doubts that predator and prey were both increasing in numbers. The kill was most likely made by a leopard.

The divisional forest officer of Cooch Behar, Apurba Sen, went to the spot after he learnt that the remains of a sambar had been found. “This a great news for the department and for the forest. The kill is an evidence that the animals are on the rise in the jungle. The carcass has claw marks of a leopard attack and the kill was by an adult animal. The incident took place deep inside the forest,” Sen said.

The sex of the sambar, however, could not be determined as the foresters found only the thigh of the deer and two small antlers as remains.

The Rasomati forest, which is spread over 1,600 hectares, is 11km from the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. More than 70 years ago, during the time of the maharajas, the forest was known for the variety of animals found there. Elephants, rhinos and even tigers were often spotted. They were hunted for trophies by the princes and those they entertained.

Sources in the department said the forest had once come under tremendous biotic interference like felling of tress and grasses. This lead to the destruction of animal habitat and eventually the loss of fauna. The depredation took place mainly in the seventies and the eighties.

“Later, the forest department took up a tree-planting programme at Rasomati. Today the forest has regenerated itself and is attracting wild animals as well as a large number of bird species,” the divisional forest officer said. He added that an eco-tourism centre had been developed around the 3.5 hectare waterbody in the forest and there was a 56ft high watchtower. “On November 8, we will introduce boating facilities at the centre. The proof of the presence of a large cat here is a boon for us as more tourists will be attracted to the place,” Sen said.

However, visitors are not allowed to enter the deep forest for safety reasons. Sen said regular patrolling was on and because of that the kill was discovered. He said he was hopeful that forest guards on patrol would sight more wildlife.