Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Forest Department officials deployed drones to track the movement of tigers in Kaghaznagar division on Sunday, covering forest areas around Kondapalli and Yellur villages in Penchikalpet mandal.
Penchikalpet Forest Range Officer S Venugopal said the officials were able to track the movement of tigers in deep forests and open grounds where officials could not reach, with the help of the drone cameras. “About 600 face masks were also distributed to farm labourers as part of preventive measures to avert an attack by the tiger,” he said.
Venugopal requested the rural folks, farmers and motorists not to enter dense forests and avoid sudden confrontation with the territorial animal. He advised them to make noise when using routes that pass through the forests and picking cotton. He suggested them to travel in large numbers. He urged them to share information of movement of tigers with foresters.
It may be recalled that Pasula Nirmala (18) was mauled to death by a tiger when she was engaged in the harvesting of cotton on the outskirts of Kondapalli village on November 29. About 30 cattle were killed by the big cat in different parts of Kaghaznagar division in the past few months. Tigers belonging to Maharashtra are suspected to have developed erratic behaviour, indulging in the killing of humans.
Meanwhile, rural folks were in the grip of panic once again when farm labourers sighted a tiger in a cotton field on the outskirts of Nakkalapalli village in Kotapalli mandal on Sunday. Two motorists managed to avoid a confrontation with the big cat near this village on Saturday evening. They escaped an attack by climbing a tall tree and were later rescued by locals who rushed to the spot after being informed by the duo over the phone.
Farm laborers wear face masks supplied by the forest department in Kondapalli village of Penchikalpet mandal on Sunday.
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