Tiger Spotted at Vasalamarri Along Bhongir–Gajwel Road

Nalgonda: The tiger which has stayed put for nearly a fortnight in the Yadadri-Bhongir district and appears to have made the place its home, at least for now, was sighted directly for the first time around midnight on Friday near vasalamarri of M. Turkapalli mandal.

A truck driver who saw the tiger chasing a wild pig at Nagamma temple near a petrol bunk on the Bhongir-Gajwel road close to vasalamarri alerted the locals who informed forest department officials.

Forest range officer Ramesh Naik said the truck driver told the villagers that the tiger went towards the dayyam Banda thanda which falls between Vasalamarri and the forest patch near Ibrahimpur where the tiger may be taking shelter.

It was also said that the tiger, two days ago when believed to have sheltered near Dattaipally, may have travelled to Srinivaspuram close to a small forest patch near Tirumalapur. Since it has been a week since it last made a kill and fed on it, it may have attempted to hunt again and in the process, was seen by the truck driver.

Forest officials said the Tirumalapur forest patch has some deer and other wild animals and this may be the reason why the tiger returned to the area. The officials told people from Vasalamarri, which was adopted by former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, and those other villages nearby not to venture out after dark, and return home before sundown.