Fear in Rajanna Sircilla as leopards, tiger spotted near villages

Panic spread across parts of Rajanna Sircilla district after two leopards killed calves near villages, while a tiger was also tracked in the region. Forest officials have alerted residents within a 30-km radius and stepped up monitoring efforts.

Hyderabad: Fear gripped two mandals of the Rajanna Sircilla district following reports of two leopards and a tiger moving around the villages.

Two days ago, two leopards attacked and killed two calves between Marthanpet and Dharmaram village in Konaraopet mandal in the district.

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Following the attack, the forest officials alerted the villagers. Initially, it was assumed it was a tiger attack, later the forest officials who came and checked the pug marks found that leopards were moving around.

A local villager told ‘Telangana Today’ that two leopards were moving around in the hills between Marthanpet and Dharmaram, and they were sighted by the people. “So far, the leopards did not harm any humans. Occasionally, they are sighted on the village fringes,” said the village, who did not want to be named.

The leopards take shelter in the forest around Marthanpet, Dharmaram, Konaraopet, Malkapet and a couple of other villages. “In summer we expect the leopards to move into the villages. We have asked the forest officials to visit the villages and take steps to prevent human-animal conflict,” said a sarpanch of a village.

Meanwhile, the forest officials are tracking the tiger that was until Wednesday moving around in Thippapuram village of Ellanthakunta mandal in the district. With no fresh killings reported, the forest officials have asked the villages around a radius of around 30 km to be on alert.

Wildlife experts trying to track the tiger say the feline had slipped out of their radar since Wednesday afternoon.