AP Foresters to Release Female Tiger to Help Male Establish Territory in Papikonda National Park
The 3.5 years-old young male tiger had been caught from the fields in Kurmapuram village of Rayavaram mandal in East Godavari district on February 6 with the help of a Pune based NGO RESQ.
Vijayawada: AP foresters are planning to release a female tiger which reached puberty at the age of around two years as a young male tiger has been looking for a mate at National Papikonda Park.
The male tiger, foresters said, is trying to establish a new territory for itself.
The 3.5 years-old young male tiger had been caught from the fields in Kurmapuram village of Rayavaram mandal in East Godavari district on February 6 with the help of a Pune based NGO RESQ. It has been released into the national Papikonda park after a radio collar was fixed to it, to keep a track of its movement. After a few days, it started to appear in the fringe villages, attacking cattle in agricultural fields.
As it has been moving and spotted at several places in recent days, forest officials along with those from Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam tiger reserve, from Karnataka, and from the national tiger conservation authority, New Delhi, are keeping a close watch on it.
Except for its attacks on cattle for feed, the tiger has not targeted any humans so far. With this, the foresters are a bit relieved, but they are mindful that the young male tiger is exploring the new landscape to establish a new territory of its own. The tiger requires a large area to move around looking for prey. It is also looking for a mate to establish its own family, foresters reckon.
Moreover, with no presence of a male tiger in the national Papikonda park, the young tiger is ruling the roost. It faces no challenge to its movement in the region.
Rajahmundry circle chief conservator of forests Srikantanatha Reddy said, “We have been closely monitoring the movement of the young male tiger that was released into the Papikonda park recently. To help it, we are planning to release a young female tiger into the NPP soon.”
He said, “The national park used to have the presence of many tigers years ago, but it had no tiger in recent times. Poaching by local villagers was one reason.
Locals go into the forests for collection of firewood and then engage in hunting. Habitat destruction is also another reason for the carnivores moving away, seeking new territories for them.”