TAMSI (K), ADILABAD: Villagers of Tamsi (K) who were panic stricken by the movement of a tigress in their vicinity are now trying to drive it away by creating a racket, beating drums and blowing the ‘pungi’.
This is not very wise as the tigress if scared may attack cattle and humans. What the forest department should be doing is sensitising the villagers to the plight of the tigress, and providing protection to her as well as the villagers. The tigress had migrated from the Tippeshwar tiger reserve in Maharashtra some days ago and strayed across the border scaring villagers.
Rumours poured in regarding the movement of the tigress and the killing of cows from different places. The villagers say it’s not one but more than two tigers that have strayed into the border villages of Bheempur mandal from the Tippeshwar reserve.
Kawal tiger reserve field director C.P. Vinod Kumar says there is a spillover population of tigers from Tippeshwar straying into border areas of Adilabad district after crossing the river Penganga. He said two tigers from Tippeshwar had entered the Kawal and settled there and he expects many more to come in through the Bheempur mandal which forms the tiger corridor between the two reserves.
Many scared farmers have left the last picking of cotton in their fields and have lost nearly two to three quintals of cotton per acre. Agricultural labourers have lost a full season’s work of cotton picking. Those farmers that are determined to continue with the cotton-picking are the ones making a loud noise using drums and blowing pungis to chase away the tiger.
Forest rescue staff is present in and around Tamsi (K) village and Gollaghat area and a tiger rescue van has been stationed and control room set up in Tamsi (K) village. Base camps with forest staff have been set up at some places and are restricting the movement of villagers and vehicles inside certain forest areas.
