Officials Step Up Hunt For Missing Tiger S12
The tiger, which was last seen on July 14, had killed a calf in the forests near School Thanda village in Ramareddy mandal: Reports
ADILABAD: A five-year-old male tiger, named S12, has been missing for a month after migrating from the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district's Kagaznagar forest to Kamareddy. Forest officials and conservationists are concerned for its safety, particularly after an attempt was made to poison the tiger.
The tiger, which was last seen on July 14, had killed a calf in the forests near School Thanda village in Ramareddy mandal. During an investigation, the calf's owner admitted to poisoning the remains of the carcass with pesticide.
The owner, deeply distressed by the loss of his animal, intended to kill the tiger. Despite extensive search efforts, authorities have found no clues about the tiger's whereabouts or condition.
Now, forest officials from the Basar Forest circle and other NGOs are actively tracking the missing tiger. Despite their efforts, they have not yet located the tiger or its remains.
Following the tiger's disappearance, Telangana's chief wildlife warden, Elusing Meru, visited the area on July 18 to investigate. Forest officials questioned the individual who poisoned the calf's carcass. This interrogation led to the identification of four other suspects, all of whom have confessed.
Authorities are still searching for the tiger and have asked the main suspect to help locate the carcass, assuming the tiger died after consuming the poisoned remains. In July 2025, the tiger S-12 crossed the Godavari River from the Khanapur forest area of the Kawal Tiger Reserve.
It then traveled through Jagtial, Vemulawada, and Rajanna Sirsilla districts before finally entering the Kamareddy district. Officials confirmed this path by analysing its pugmarks.
Venkatesh Anagandula, regional coordinator of the Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society, said they have been tracking the missing tiger in coordination with the forest staff for nearly a month, but have not found its movements in Kamareddy district.
He said they were also tracing its movements, if any, in the Kamareddy’s bordering districts. However, Venkatesh said the tigers can often vanish for long periods before reappearing far away, and he remains hopeful that S-12 is safe somewhere. He also mentioned a troubling trend where poachers will skin and bury a tiger's carcass to hide their crime.
