Tiger movement gives people of Mancherial chills
Farmers petrified over their safety as the wild animals are on cattle-killing spree
Mancherial: Notwithstanding the rapid urbanisation and coal mining operations that the Mancherial district is undergoing, tigers continue to move around human habitations following rise in the population of the carnivores. The constant sighting of the big cats and their pugmarks are creating panic among rural folks.
The district is witnessing an unprecedented growth in realty sector. Realty ventures are mushroomed on the outskirts of Mancherial district headquarters, Luxettipet, Chennur, Naspur, Ramakrishnapur, Bellampalli and Mandamarri towns. The district has over 15 underground mines and four opencast projects situated in Srirampur, Mandamarri, Ramakrishnapur and Jaipur mandal.
In spite of the construction activities and excavation of coal, the big cats are perambulating around Mancherial town and surrounding areas. In the latest instance, pugmarks of the carnivore were spotted on the outskirts of Mulkalla village in Hajipur mandal, situated barely 10 kilo metres from the district headquarters.
No power fence
“Certain tigers are moving in the surroundings of Mancherial town and nearby villages. A slew of measures are being taken for protecting the big cats. We are continuously tracking the movement of the big cats and are creating awareness among the rural folks over their movement. Farmers are requested not to erect electrified fence and villagers are advised not enter deep forests,” Mancherial Forest Divisional Officer Vinay Kumar Sahu said.
The solitary animals are sighting in several parts of the district in search of safe habitat. According to sources, eight tigers are living in the wild of this region. Most of them belonged to neighbouring Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, which is overcrowded following continuous migration of the majestic animals from Maharashtra’s Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve.
The big cats are not harming humans, but indulging in killing three cattle on the fringes of Narsingapur village in Bheemaram mandal a fortnight back. Pugmarks of a tiger were recorded on the edges of Shivvaram village in Jaipur mandal and on the outskirts of Parupalli village in Kotapalli mandal three months ago.
The unprecedented movement of the tigers is terrifying people of the countryside. Rural folks express, in particular, farmers concern over their safety. “Various agricultural activities are taken up in the month of September and October. Protection of paddy, maize and cotton crops has become a tough task in the wake of the increased wandering of the wild animals,” K Narayana, a farmer from Hajipur opined.
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