A trap camera installed in the Raika Hills in Purulia district on Saturday captured the first picture of a tiger that entered Bengal last week.

After reviewing the picture, forest department officers confirmed that it was a full-grown tiger, currently located in the Raika Hills, where tigress Zeenat had loitered for at least four days before she was tranquillised and captured on December 29.

“The first picture of the tiger was clicked around 3.24 this morning by a trap camera installed in the Purulia forest. It is possibly a 12-15-year-old fully grown tiger,” said S. Kulandaivel, chief conservator of forests (CCF), western circle.

On December 6, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had first announced the possible entry of a new tiger into Bengal. In December last year, Zeenat had been returned to Odisha’s Simlipal Tiger Reserve, from where she had escaped.

The entry of the tiger without a radio collar was confirmed by Bengal foresters on January 12 after pugmarks were found in the forest of Jhargram’s Belpahari. Since then, a large team of foresters has been engaged to capture the carnivore.

The forest department has installed over 100 trap cameras in the Raika Hills to track the tiger.

A section of senior foresters believes that the new tiger, a fully grown male, came in search of Zeenat, as he is following the same path she took.

A senior forester said the picture would help determine the animal’s origin and aid in efforts to trap it. There is also a potential threat of human-animal conflict as the Raika hills are dotted with dozens of tribal hamlets.

The forest department has put up nylon net fences to separate the hamlets to avert human-tiger conflicts.

“We have increased surveillance to capture the animal as soon as possible. We do not yet know the origin of the big cat. We are making every effort to rescue it, both for the safety and security of the tiger and the human population,” said Kulandaivel.