Young Tiger Nears Papikonda National Park, Foresters on High Alert
The tiger was last spotted in the Kannapuram forest area of Eluru district on Tuesday
Vijayawada: Forest officials are closely tracking the movement of a young male tiger that has strayed into forest areas of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and is now likely to enter Papikonda National Park (PNP) shortly.
The tiger was last spotted in the Kannapuram forest area of Eluru district on Tuesday. Forest authorities have deployed drone cameras, 30 to 40 camera traps and Rapid Response Force teams to continuously monitor its movement.
Officials believe the tiger may have originated from forests in Chhattisgarh. They said there has been no fresh kill over the past two days, as the animal is believed to be feeding on a kill made on Sunday.
As the tiger appears to be moving towards Papikonda National Park, officials said it may be attempting to establish a new territory. They explained that such behaviour typically involves scent marking using secretions from anal glands and occasional cattle kills to assert dominance and deter other tigers from entering the area.
There are also reports suggesting that the young tiger could be the offspring of a tiger pair that was known to inhabit Papikonda National Park in 2023. Having matured over the past three years, the animal may have separated from its parents and is now searching for an independent territory.
Meanwhile, forest authorities have begun installing nearly 600 camera traps across the 1,200 sq km expanse of Papikonda National Park as part of the ongoing All India Tiger Estimate–2026. The exercise is expected to be completed within a week. Officials said if the tiger enters the park, its movement will be tracked through camera traps, providing relief to both forest staff and villagers in vulnerable areas.
Rajahmundry circle conservator of forests B.N.N. Murthy said the tiger was moving away from agricultural fields towards forested areas and was expected to enter Papikonda National Park soon. “We are strictly following the protocol laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority while monitoring the tiger’s movement,” he said.
