Forest Dept Deploys 19 Teams To Catch Tiger In Polavaram
The big cat, which is believed to have originally wandered from Maharashtra, has been roaming the region for nearly four months.
Polavaram: Around 19 rescue teams have been deployed to capture the tiger spotted in the district in Andhra Pradesh. The tiger was reportedly moving deep into nearby villages, including Gangapalem, in Devipatnam mandal, causing panic among the tribal people living in the area. The big cat, which is believed to have originally wandered from Maharashtra, has been roaming the region for nearly four months.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the tiger had attacked several cattle and livestock. The big cat also killed around 12 cows in the early hours of Wednesday, said District Forest Officer Ram Chandra Rao. The tiger even dragged a calf into the forest, he added.
This had created panic among the tribal villagers, and they stated that this was causing a huge loss, thereby impacting their livelihoods. Reports also said that efforts are underway to catch the tiger, including the deployment of rescue teams and continuous surveillance by the Forest Department. Currently, 7 teams, including special HANUMAN (Healing and Nurturing Units for Monitoring, Aid and Nursing of Wildlife) teams (launched by the AP government), are working round the clock to prevent further threats to villagers and cattle, the DFO mentioned. These special teams combine AI technology with ground patrols to manage wildlife conflicts and track animals like tigers.
Chief Wildlife Executive Nageswar Rao and Rajamahendravaram CCF Dr. Jyothi visited the area and investigated the incident. Officials cautioned tribal residents to remain safe and avoid going out at night, while assuring full compensation to the victims.
This article was written by Yashwanth Rodda, a student of IIT Hyderabad, currently interning with Deccan Chronicle.
