Tiger from Maharashtra settles in Adilabad forests for six months, forest officials track movements
A sub-adult male tiger from Maharashtra’s Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary has made Adilabad district its new home, settling across 2,000–3,000 hectares of forest. Forest officials are monitoring its movements with camera traps and awareness drives.
Adilabad: A tiger from Maharashtra has finally made the forests of Adilabad district its home, with forest officials now keeping a close tab on its movements.
Forest officials confirmed that a sub-adult male tiger from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal district of neighbouring Maharashtra drifted towards Bheempur and Thamsi mandals in the Adilabad range after crossing the Penganga river about six months ago. It is believed to have entered the district in search of territory and a partner for mating, as winter is considered the breeding season.
“Currently, the tiger has settled in a landscape measuring between 2,000 and 3,000 hectares in the range considering conducive living conditions such as prey base, peaceful environs and drinking water sources. Movement of the tiger is being closely tracked with a special focus. Awareness is being created among villagers over the presence of the tiger and precautions,” a forest official who was part of a team engaged in monitoring the tiger’s movement told ‘Telangana Today.’
Officials disclosed that the tiger has so far killed five cattle grazing in the wild. An average compensation of Rs.30,000 per cow was extended to the owners of the animals. The tiger has not harmed humans so far even though it was sighted on the edges of several villages in the range, while its pugmarks have been spotted by farmers at regular intervals.
Two teams, 14 camera traps in place to track tiger
According to officials, two teams comprising 10 personnel were deployed to trail the tiger, while 14 CCTV camera traps were installed in different parts of the landscape to capture its images and track its location as part of conservation efforts. Posters were pasted in villages and rural residents were advised not to trust rumours circulating on social media platforms. Residents of forest fringe villages and settlements close to the tiger’s habitat were also requested not to enter the forest after 6 pm.
However, the presence of the tiger has triggered panic among residents of Gollaghat, Thamsi (K), Pippalkot, Gunjala and surrounding villages located along the banks of the Penganga river and the borders of the two States. Farmers and agricultural labourers said they were anxious about carrying out farm operations and harvesting cotton due to the tiger’s movement. They urged officials to prevent human casualties and divert the animal deeper into the forests.
Two other tigers shuttle between Telangana, Maharashtra
Meanwhile, a female and a male tiger inhabiting the Penganga Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra have been shuttling between the Boath Forest Range and Kinwat in the neighbouring State for the past three months. With these two, the forests of the district are now home to three tigers, reflecting sustained efforts by authorities to attract the big cats back to a region that once flourished with a sizeable tiger population.
Forest officials opined that the district’s forests could witness a significant rise in tiger numbers if the resident male tiger soon pairs with a female.
