Forest Department Plans New Tiger Corridor To Kawal
The primary aim of creating the corridor is to provide a safe passage for tigers migrating into Adilabad in search of mates during the mating season, from November to January, enabling them to enter Kawal Tiger Reserve and eventually become resident tigers there.
ADILABAD: The forest department is planning to develop another tiger corridor from the Tippeshwar Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to the Kawal Tiger Reserve through the forests of Bheempur, Boath and the Kadam river region.
The primary aim of creating the corridor is to provide a safe passage for tigers migrating into Adilabad in search of mates during the mating season, from November to January, enabling them to enter Kawal Tiger Reserve and eventually become resident tigers there.
Additional PCCF Ratnaker Jouhari told Deccan Chronicle that the department is creating awareness among local farmers to ensure no harm comes to the two tigers currently moving in the Gollaghat-Thamsi area of Bheempur mandal in Adilabad district.
He said efforts are underway to strengthen the forest cover by connecting fragmented patches between the two forest areas to create uninterrupted pathways for tigers entering Kawal. If necessary, land will be acquired to ensure continuous forest cover without human disturbance and to bypass villages. Plantations are being raised to bridge forest gaps under the Compensatory Afforestation scheme.
“A Tiger Cell is being set up to monitor tiger movement round the clock and take safety measures, while district officials will share real-time updates on tiger sightings,” he said. Jouhari added that plans are being made to develop ecotourism projects at various locations in Adilabad to protect biodiversity while creating employment for local youth and generating revenue for the state.
Adilabad DFO Prashant Bajirao Patil said tigers from the Tippeshwar Tiger Reserve have been migrating into Adilabad by crossing the Penganga river for the last four years. He said awareness programmes are being conducted for farmers, particularly during cotton-picking season, to ensure they do not harm the tigers and to educate them on measures to avoid human–animal conflict.
He expressed hope that Kawal Tiger Reserve might soon see tiger cubs, as both male and female tigers are currently moving in its area during the mating season.
Forest officials said the high density of tigers in Tippeshwar Tiger Reserve and Penganga Wildlife Sanctuary is prompting some tigers to migrate into Adilabad in search of new territory.
The department is intensifying monitoring of tiger movement in these areas and taking measures to ensure their safety and protection.
Additional PCCF Ratnaker Jouhari, along with Adilabad DFO Prashant Bajirao Patil and Adilabad FRO Gulab Singh, inspected plantation sites, the urban park at Mavala, and interacted with VSS members at Chinchughat on Saturday.