Tiger movement sparks fear in Somasila villages
Residents of Yangampally thanda in Somasila and nearby villages have been anxious after reports of tiger movement across River Krishna from the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve. Forest officials confirmed pug marks in fields but assured there is no immediate danger.
Hyderabad: Residents of Yangampally thanda in Somasila and neighbouring villages have been spending sleepless nights for the past fortnight after local residents identified tiger movement in the region.
This is after locals fear that a tiger swam across River Krishna from Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) side. When the issue was brought to the notice of forest officials, they scanned the region and identified tiger pug marks in agricultural fields on December 17.
Generally, during the summer, tigers swim across River Krishna from the NSTR end towards Amrabad through Sangameshwara area.
However, the tiger swimming across the river and entering the Somasila area through Yangampally thanda, has left many residents worried.
The distance between Yangampally and Sangameshwara could be around three kms. Tigers prefer the Sangameshwara region in the Kollapur forest area limits as the distance between the two State boundaries is very short and the water level is not as deep compared to other places, forest officials said.
However, forest officials claimed there was nothing to worry about. Last year also, a tiger swam across the river and entered the Somasila region through Yangampally thanda. From the department end, the villagers and fishermen have been cautioned not to move in the area late in the night.
The fishermen usually venture into the river for fishing and lay nets and stay overnight on the banks. They have also been asked to alert the officials, if they notice any tiger movements or hear any sounds, Forest Section Officer from Kollapur Mujeeb Ghouri said.
Apart from conducting awareness programmes in Malleshwaram, Amaragiri, Elluru, Macchallagunta and other areas, camera traps have also been installed at strategic locations to capture the images.
However, no images have been captured so far, he said. Regarding the tiger swimming videos circulating on social media and news channels, the Forest Section Officer clarified that it was not from Telangana end.
“We have checked with NSTR officials, they too have confirmed that it is not from their limits. A joint patrolling by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh officials has been conducted since Thursday from Sangameshwara to Amaragiri but there was no trace of any tiger movement,” he added.
