Adilabad: The sighting of a tiger in the agriculture fields triggered panic among farmers and villagers in the Dhanora village of Bheempur mandal on Friday.
Sources said a farmer Akula Vittal Yadav spotted the big cat in an agriculture field while he was grazing his cattle. He informed local Forest officials who reached the spot and inspected the pugmarks. Forest Section Officer Gulab Singh said the pugmarks looked like that of a big cat. Officials have requested farmers to move in groups and to avoid sudden confrontation with wild animals, which could lead to danger.
The movement of the big cat was being tracked, Singh said, urging the locals not to harm the wild animals. Stringent action would be taken against poachers as well, he added.
The incident meanwhile, created a flutter in the village. Farmers said a tiger was frequently sighted on the fringes of the village and requested Forest officials to ensure that the tiger went back into the forest. They said they were afraid of taking up agriculture activities considering the threat of wild animals.
Incidentally, a leopard had attacked a herd of cows in the neighboring Gollagattu village in Bheempur mandal a few days ago.