CCTV cameras setup in bordering villages to capture Tiger movements in Peddapalli

Peddapalli: In the wake of the sighting of tiger in the adjacent Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli district recently, district forest officials have taken precautionary measures to check its movement. Besides alerting the Sarpanches of villages located along the Manair river in Mutharam mandal, officials have also arranged CCTV cameras in different locations in the forest to find the movements of the tiger if it entered in the district after crossing the river.

Cameras were set up in six places in the forest near Adavisrirampur, Adavisomanpalli, and Khammampalli of Mutharam mandal located on the banks of the river Manair.

According to forest officials, tigers would usually move in the areas by following the old paths wherein they had earlier visited a particular locality. If the tiger, which was presently moving in Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli district, was old one, it would move in the same direction. So, they arranged CC cameras to trace the movements of the big cat.

It may be recalled here that the big cat, which was reportedly entered Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli district from adjacent Chhattisgarh state in the month of August 2020, entered into Peddapalli district by crossing the Manair river near Chityal mandal of Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli district.

First time, the pugmarks were found near Koyyagutta of Adavisrirampur of Mutharam mandal in the district in the month of September 2020. On September 7, 2020, it attacked a herd of cattle and killed a cow at Bagullagutta hillocks in the outskirts of Machupeta of Mutharam mandal. It dragged the carcass about 100 meters away from the spot and ate the head.

Anticipating that the big cat would definitely revisit the spot, forest officials had fixed four CC cameras around the carcass of the cow to capture the movements of the tiger but in vain as it did not revisit the spot again.

Not to loss opportunity this time around, officials on Thursday arranged CC cameras in six places in the forest near Adavisrirampur, Adavisomanpalli, and Khammampalli located on the bank of the river Manair. Sarpanches of these villages were also asked to alert forest officials if they found the movement of the Tiger.

Speaking to Telangana Today, District Forest Officer Ch Shivaiah said that though the tiger was not yet entered into Peddapalli district, they have arranged CC cameras as a precautionary to capture the movement of tiger if the latter was entered into the district.

Sarpanches were also asked to alert forest officials if they found the movement of the big cat, he informed.