Ranchi, Aug 6 (IANS): Contradicting the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018 which states that Jharkhand's Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR) has no tigers, the state Forest Department has claimed the presence of three wild cats in the reserve.

The report, released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month, showed the presence of five tigers in entire Jharkhand, located on the border areas of the state and Chhattisgarh, but none in Palamau Tiger Reserve. The reserve is a part of the original nine reserves selected under Project Tiger.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Sanjay Kumar told reporters on Monday that between June to October 2018, no tigers were caught on camera but after February 2019, two tigress and a tiger were spotted in PTR.

He also that the Forest Department has found foot marks which indicate presence of two more tigers in the reserve.

Forest officials claimed that the presence of tigers in Saranda and Hazaribag forest areas.

The 2014 report showed presence of three tigers in the reserve.