Tiger moves northwards, giving hope to officials

The tiger, which has been giving sleepless nights to the Forest Department and people by roaming in non-forest areas of Telangana, is now moving northwards, raising hopes that it will return to the Kawal Tiger Reserve.

The teams tracking the animal confirmed the existence of the animal in Arepally village of Siddipet district on February 8 and said that the animal was moving towards the north. This move follows a previously confirmed sighting and the recording of new boxer tracks on February 6 and 7, the Ministry of Forestry said in a statement.

A camera trap footage released by the department shows the big cat quenching its thirst at a water source. Authorities advise residents of Shanigaram, Koheda mandals and those around Arepally to follow established safety protocols for restricted movements. Villagers are told to avoid going out unnecessarily, especially at night, and travel in large groups if necessary.

They are also advised not to install live electrical wires/traps and to secure cattle in safe shelters. Authorities reported that new cattle deaths have occurred and compensation will be paid to all cattle owners on the spot.

The statement stated that in order to ensure the safety of both the public and the tiger, the ministry has intensified its operations by creating special patrol teams in Siddipet, Jangaon, Karimnagar and Yadadri regions.

These teams actively conduct ground-level outreach to educate residents on safety protocols while monitoring the terrain to ensure the animal’s safe passage. Expert tiger rescue teams from Pune have been deployed and expert assessments are being conducted on an ongoing basis. The statement said the capture will be evaluated under the strict standard operating procedures of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, if the situation warrants.

Traveling from the Tipeshwar sanctuary in Maharashtra, the tiger entered the Kawal Tiger Reserve and entered non-forest areas by swimming the Godavari river more than two months ago. Since then the animal was constantly on the move, probably in search of territory or a mate. He has been wandering around the Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, Jangaon and Siddipet junction for about a month now, leading to rumors that he is marking his territory there, which Forest officials deny.