Poor prey base in Adilabad force tigers to return to Maharashtra

Adilabad: Forests of the district are increasingly registering migration of tigers from Maharashtra. But they are unable to become a home to big cats. Poor prey base is attributed to the territorial animal’s disinterest to stay here. On November 12 night, a tigress and its three cubs were sighted on a road between Gollaghat village […]

Adilabad: Forests of the district are increasingly registering migration of tigers from Maharashtra. But they are unable to become a home to big cats. Poor prey base is attributed to the territorial animal’s disinterest to stay here. On November 12 night, a tigress and its three cubs were sighted on a road between Gollaghat village in Bheempur mandal and Pippalkoti village of Tamsi mandal. A tigress and cub were sighted when they were roaming in a canal of Chanaka-Korata inter-state irrigation project between Hathighat village of Jainanth mandal and Rampur village in Bheempur mandal on November 8.

Meanwhile, a big cat killed a cow in the forests of Gunjala village in Bheempur mandal on Monday. A Tiger killed a goat in the forests of Kolama village in Gadiguda mandal of Adilabad district. The incident created a flutter in the region on October 12. A big cat was sighted in agriculture fields at Dhanora village in Bheempur mandal on September 23.

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In a welcoming sign, forests of the district, in particular Adilabad division are seeing the unprecedented migration of tigers from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) in Yavatmal district of the neighboring state. The tigers are drifting to the forests of the district in search of new territory, food and water sources. The phenomenon is cheering the authorities of the forest and environmentalists.

However, the solitary animals are not settling down in the wild of this region and are not showing interest in making the forests their homes for a long period. They are coming here only for a brief stay. They are sighted on forest fringes, agriculture fields and at irrigation projects. Their movement is creating a flutter and panick among the locals. They, however, are returning to their native reserves.

Authorities of the forest department say that a slew of steps are being taken to create conducive habitat for tigers and an ecosystem for conservation of the big cats. They are planning to release deer into the wild. They selected certain landscapes to develop as habitats of the majestic animals.