Tiger Back In Siddipet, So Is Team To Catch It If Needed
After a brief movement into Karimnagar, the tiger has returned to the scrub jungles of Koheda mandal, prompting forest officials to deploy thermal drones for monitoring while a rescue team from Pune has arrived to assess the situation.
Hyderabad: After a brief foray across the border into Karimnagar district on Sunday, the sub-adult male tiger that has kept the forest department on its toes, along with people in villages across districts, was back in Siddipet district on Monday.
The tiger, which had on Sunday killed a cow near Arepalli, was reported to have taken shelter in hillocks near the village of Koheda mandal. The area is home to thick scrub jungle, and several small water bodies. Incidentally, Arepalli is just around 6 km south of the Shanigaram reservoir.
The tiger, which stayed in Yadadri-Bhongir district for three weeks, moved into Siddipet district three days ago. After crossing over into Karimnagar district late on Sunday, and setting alarm bells ringing , it appeared to have decided to stay put in the relatively undisturbed scrub forest area where it has taken shelter.
Arepalli sarpanch Chityala Baburaju told Deccan Chronicle that the area where the tiger has taken shelter was just about two kilometres from the village. “There is a stream, trees, and it looks like it has found itself a nice den amidst the rocks there. We are all worried for our safety but are following instructions of the forest officials,” he said.
Meanwhile, members of RES-Q, a Pune based wildlife rescue group whose team caught a tiger near Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, reportedly reached Arepalli late on Monday night and are expected to take stock of the situation.
So far, the forest department has said that unless it becomes inevitable, it will not take any steps to catch the tiger and let it move freely as it is searching for a territory of its own, and if any steps are taken, they will be in accordance with protocols laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
The forest department officials said they have advised people in the villages near the area the tiger has been moving about to be very cautious and also take steps to protect their cattle. The department said it was continuing to monitor the whereabouts of the tiger, and was also using thermal drones to keep track of its movements during the night.
