Kolkata, Apr 13 (IANS): The Royal Bengal tiger that was spotted on several occasions in forests of West Bengal's West Midnapore and Bankura districts since early March this year, was on Friday found dead in the state's Lalgarh forest, an official said.

The big cat, which was first spotted on March 2 by a camera trapping excercise in the forest of Lalgarh, formerly a Maoist belt, had escaped several attempts by the forests officials to catch it.

"The tiger was found dead today (Friday). The reason of the death is not yet confirmed. It could be confirmed after the autopsy," Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife & Chief Wildlife Warden, West Bengal, Ravi Kant Sinha told IANS.

Following the reports of killing of cattle, the Forest Department installed several cameras to confirm the presence of the tiger in the forests and spotted it in one of them installed in the Lalgarh forest.

Since then, several attempts were made to catch it including by laying traps in several locations in the forests but efforts went in vain. Recently, the tiger was caught in a net laid by the officials, but managed to escape.

People living in the surrounding areas were terrorised by the presence of the tiger.