Tiger movement continues to trigger panic in Warangal

Big cat, which recently entered the erstwhile Warangal district from Adilabad, was sighted roaming in the villages of Nallabelli, Khanapuram and Narsampet agency

Warangal: The inability of Forest officials to track the whereabouts of a tiger is creating fear among the villagers in the erstwhile Warangal district.

The tiger, which recently entered the erstwhile Warangal district from Adilabad, was sighted roaming in the villages of Nallabelli, Khanapuram and Narsampet agency. Three days ago, a tiger roamed in the forest near Rudragudem in Nallabelli mandal. Based on information from locals, Forest officials examined the tiger’s pug marks and advised people to be vigilant.

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On Sunday, the Forest officials confirmed that a tiger had entered the forests of Kothaguda, and formed five teams headed by a Forest Range Officer (FRO) of Mahabubabad Wajahat. Although the pug marks of the tiger were detected up to Kirya Thanda in Khanapuram mandal of Mahabubabad district, the Forest authorities are not getting any clarity as to where it went from there. The special teams searched for the big cat in the Kothaguda range, but could not find any traces of it.

Camera traps have been set up in the areas where wild animals roam after identifying the pug marks of tigers that entered the fields from the forest area of Konapuram village.

Although the cameras were installed in the areas where the tiger usually roams, it was not seen anywhere, the FRO said, adding that there were no traces of tigers in the areas they examined. The labourers who go to work in the fields, where there was a possibility of tigers lurking in other areas, and the people from the villages near the forest were advised to be careful, he said.

Meanwhile, Narsampeta Inspector Ramana Murthy asked shepherds to take their cattle, sheep and goats to graze them in the plain areas for a few days instead of forest areas. Similarly, he also advised the farmers, who go for farming work, to be alert and move in groups, finish their work quickly and reach their homes before evening.

The Forest officials are reportedly using drone cameras to locate the tiger. The authorities scanned the forest areas of Rudragudem and Kondayipalli areas with drone cameras to locate the tiger, but so far they were not successful in their attempt.