Watch: Tiger movement near coal mines keeps officials on tenterhooks in Mancherial

The movement of a migrant tiger near coal mines in Mancherial district has kept forest and SCCL officials on high alert. Extensive safety measures, including CCTV camera traps and joint patrols, have been put in place to protect both miners and the animal.

Mancherial: The movement of a tiger around coal mines in Srirampur village of Naspur mandal continued to keep forest officials on tenterhooks for the second consecutive day on Saturday.

A migrant tiger was initially sighted at RK-8 and nearby underground mines on the outskirts of Ramaraopet on Friday. Its pugmarks were recorded near the mines and opencast projects. Video clips showing the tiger moving close to a mine went viral on social media platforms, triggering panic among coal miners and prompting officials to step up security measures for both the animal and humans.

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The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) officials asked coal miners to remain cautious, while Forest officials took a slew of measures to ensure the smooth passage of the tiger and to avoid human casualties. Coal miners were advised to move in groups. Around 50 CCTV camera traps were installed and animal trackers were pressed into service to monitor the tiger’s movement.

Forest officials said teams comprising Forest, police and SCCL personnel were formed as part of safety measures. Villagers were requested to report any movement of the tiger immediately. Visibility along the tiger’s paths was increased by setting up lamps. View lines were created along animal passage routes. Barricades were erected to control vehicle speed and staff were deployed in advance to sensitise drivers to keep their speed low.

Forest officials were camping near the mines to monitor an operation launched to divert the tiger into dense forests. They stated that the tiger appeared to have drifted towards Tekumatla after crossing the Mancherial–Hyderabad road on Friday night. It reportedly entered Kanukur village in Jaipur mandal on Saturday morning.