Forest officials on alert as tiger sighted in Manthani forest near Peddapalli

Forest officials were alerted by a farmer who saw the big cat crossing the road. The animal is said to have moved towards Gopalpur

PEDDAPALLI: A tiger was sighted near the forests of Bittupalli in Manthani mandal on Saturday night. It was seen crossing the road by a farmer and is said to have moved towards Gopalpur on Sunday morning.

After being alerted by the farmer, forest officials led by Range Officer Ramesh rushed to the village and stayed put there, enforcing a night patrol.

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The pugmarks of the tiger were also found beside the Gopalpur canal. People from surrounding villages such as Bittupalli, Dharmaram, and Chinna Odela panicked after knowing about the movement of the big cat. Ramesh advised people and farmers not to visit agricultural fields alone.

NREGS workers were also cautioned against going into the fields. They were also asked not to put up electric traps.

A tiger was earlier seen in these forests twice in 2020 and 2022. In 2020, it stayed for seven days and killed cattle. It returned within one day in 2022, he said.