Wildlife Threats: TTD Plans Permanent Command Control Room at Alipiri Footpath

Tirupati: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams in coordination with the forest department, would start a permanent command control room at the 7th mile of the Alipiri-Tirumala footpath for wildlife surveillance and safety of the devotees trekking to Tirumala.

This follows a series of leopard sightings and attacks along the forested trail in recent times. TTD identified the stretch between Alipiri Padala Mandapam and the Narasimha Swamy temple beyond the 7th mile as the most sensitive zone. Frequent movement of leopards and sloth bears is noticed in this area particularly during nighttime.

In two incidents, leopards attacked children on the footpath. These resulted in the death of a six-year-old girl and caused serious injuries to another girl. Since then, TTD and the forest department have implemented safety measures. They provided sticks to pilgrims, deployed rescue teams and closed the path after 6pm.

Traps were also set up. The captured animals were either relocated to deep forest areas or transferred to the Sri Venkateswara zoological park.

“In recent days, camera footage confirmed the presence of a leopard and a sloth bear with cubs in this zone,” said a senior officer from the Tirupati forest division. “Given the volume of pilgrims using the route, especially during weekends and festivals, a permanent monitoring facility has become essential.”

As part of the enhanced surveillance strategy, 40 live-feed cameras have been installed at high-risk locations along the footpath. Thermal imaging cameras capable of detecting movement in low-light conditions have also been deployed. “We identified specific locations with higher wildlife activity and positioned the cameras accordingly. The live feed will be monitored to detect animal movement toward the trekking route,” the official added.

The new CC room will be staffed by a dedicated team of around 30 personnel, including two wildlife biologists, 10 forest staff and officials from TTD’s vigilance and forest wings. Four mobile teams have been stationed between Alipiri and the 7th mile to respond quickly to alerts.

Base stations have been established at the Tirupati forest range office and the forest museum near the 7th mile. Walkie-talkie sets have been distributed for communication between the monitoring staff and field teams.

Although experts earlier recommended erection of elevated walkways at certain points along the Alipiri footpath, nothing has materialised. “Our present focus is on strengthening on-ground safety mechanisms. The elevated walkway proposal is under assessment,” a TTD official said.