VISAKHAPATNAM: The death of a cow in Aithangapalem village closer to Vizag-Araku road in the plain area under Vizianagaram district in the Eastern Ghats has caused panic among the people.
The cow is believed to have been killed by a big cat, forest officials said, adding that the wild animal was preliminarily identified as tiger, based on its pug marks – 14x14 cm.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, the Visakhapatnam chief conservator of forest Rammohan Rao said, "We suspect that the tiger has been spotted in the forests in Alluri and Vizianagaram districts and the one that has terrorised villagers in East Godavari district for the past few weeks may be the same. Or there may be another tiger roaming in these terrains. The tiger pug marks found today are similar to that of the tiger found in East Godavari.”
Rammohan Rao said that, in fact, it was only in April that the tiger first appeared in the S. Kota area. The animal then entered the Narsipatnam forest and from there proceeded to the Prattipadu mandal of East Godavari district. “It looks like it has taken reverse gear in its path,” he said.
On Sunday, forest ranger Durgaprasada Rao said the pug marks were found in the villages of Ayithangapalem and Jeeligipadu in S. Kota.
“We are tracking the big cat and its pug marks. The continuous rains in the forest area are slowing down our efforts to spot the pug marks. The rain water erases the marks,” Rao told DC.
Nearly 10-15 mm of rainfall has been reported in the forest areas of the Eastern Ghats in the two districts for the last few days under the influence of the southwest Monsoon-2022.
