Tigers are ‘silent’ along state borders; doubts raised about their presence

ADILABAD: Tigers are ‘silent’ for now as nobody has experienced their roarings and movements in the Kagaznagar forest division in recent months. This is unlike the scenario in the past, mainly in the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.

Villagers have not sensed tiger movements in recent months. Earlier, they used to cross roads and move around in the forests, mainly in Penchikalpet,  Dahegoan, Chinthalamanepalli, Bejjur, and Sirpur (T) mandals in Kagaznagar forest division.

Komaram Bheem Asifabad district forest officials used to report the movement of eight tigers in the Kagaznagar forest division. It is believed that some tigers might have returned to their original habitat in Maharashtra in search of prey and safe habitat by crossing River Pranahitha.

A big cat was electrocuted on the outskirts of Mosam in Aheri-Alapelli village in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on December 25, 2021. Its skin, four claws and head were removed and taken away while the carcass was buried.

Officials learnt that nine persons were involved in sharing the tiger's body parts after it was killed. Among them, four were from Digida village of Dahegoan mandal in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.

Villagers of Mosam had set up electric wire fencings that resulted in the death of the tiger. Villagers of Digida, who happened to be their relatives, shared the meat when they attended a marriage event in Mosam.

It is suspected that the tiger that was killed in Aheri forests bordering Maharashtra was the one that was roaming in the forests along the state borders in the Kagaznagar forest division.

Doubts are also raised as to whether the tiger that was killed in Aheri was the A-2 tiger that had killed two persons in the Kagaznagar forest division in the past. The movement of the A-2 was not noticed for a long time thereafter.

The movements of tigers, if they are present in the area, should occur at the water bodies when they come to quench their thirst amid the soaring temperatures. Water bodies are now on the verge of drying up in the forests.

It is noted that animal trackers rarely found the movement of tigers, certainly fewer than the number claimed by the forest department, in the recent months in Kagaznagar forest division.