Warning against posting animal pics

HYDERABAD: Forest department officials are approaching the police to register complaints against people who are spreading panic through social media by uploading morphed pictures depicting animals in human inhabited areas or images of them attacking humans. According to forest officials, unnecessary panic was created when recently an image of a tiger “crossing a road” was uploaded and the stretch was mentioned as Vikarabad Road, Shadnagar Road and other areas.

“Such acts are not only spreading panic amongst the public but also increasing the work of the forest department officials”, said a forest official.

Recently, there were reports of a tiger being spotted on the road near Anantagiri forest area and later the same image was seen elsewhere on the net with the place being mentioned as Shadnagar. However, officials said that it could be the Srisailam forest area.

“As the picture was taken during the night from a car, it is difficult to identify the place or the person who shot the picture. Unless, the person informs us about the location of the picture, it is difficult to know,” said the official. 

The recent case of the ‘leopard attack’ on a farmer at Vikarabad also turned out to be false. The man, according to the forest officials had fallen from a bicycle and sustained injuries. 

Later, the locals with the help of a few who had vested interest in spreading such rumours, cooked up the story of the leopard attack.

The police who took up the investigation after the news broke out questioned the man and found that he had spread rumours of the leopard attack. 

Forest officials pointed out that similar cases were being reported from many districts in the state through social media. 

“Our staff has to move around the forest area to verify the claims of the public for days. Several exercises are involved including identifying the pugmarks, the movement of the animal to find out if it is a case of man-animal conflict,” said another official.

Mr P.K. Jha, principal chief conservator of forest said that the local officials at the field level can take a decision on their own if they feel that false rumours are being spread by some vested interest to create panic amongst the public.