Tiger movement triggers panic among farmers in Adilabad

Tiger movement in Bheempur and Tamsi mandals has triggered concern among farmers, who are postponing harvesting activities. Forest officials suspect the animal strayed from Maharashtra's Tipeshwar Tiger Reserve and have deployed trackers and camera traps to monitor its movement

Adilabad: Movement of a tiger triggered panic among farmers in Bheempur and Tamsi mandals for the past few days.

Villagers from Anthargaon claimed that a tiger was sighted in agriculture fields located on the banks of Penganga river. They expressed concern over their safety following the presence of the tiger. They urged Forest officials to take steps to divert the animal into forests. They alerted the forest officials about the movement of the tiger.

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Meanwhile, residents of Arli (T), Gunjala, Thamsi (K), Gollaghat, Pippalkot, Nippani, Dhanora, Gubidi, Karanji are reportedly living in the grip of fear following movement of the tiger. They said that they were afraid of harvesting cotton and paddy crops. They said that they were postponing agriculture operations fearing attack by the tiger.

Forest officials confirmed that a tiger from Tipeshwar Tiger Reserve (TTR) of Maharashtra might have drifted towards Telangana in search of territory. Animal trackers were pressed to trail the tiger and CCTV camera traps were installed to record the movement of the tiger. They claimed that they were closely monitoring the tiger’s movement and precautions were being taken to avoid human loss.

The forest officials advised the farmers to move in groups and to make noise while taking up farm activities. They suggested shepherds not to enter deep inside forests and not to graze cattle in the wild which could potentially pose a threat to their lives. They urged the villagers to avoid sudden confrontation with the tiger.

The officials reasoned that tigers from TTR tend to migrate to neighboring landscapes in search of territory and partners for mating in winter. They said that the tigers enter the district by crossing the Penganga river and exploring the forests here. They noted that they settle in this region if they find the landscape suitable for living. They added the two tigers had already made the forests as their home.