Tiger spotting leaves villages in curfew-like limbo

VIJAYAWADA: The sighting of three tigers, suspected to be moving among the fringe villages of the Palnadu district over the past week, has rendered residents fearful of venturing out alone.

In the latest sighting on April 26, a tiger killed a cow in Gajapuram of Durgi mandal, but camera traps set up by the forest department failed to capture the big cat, with pugmarks being the only sign of the animal.

Forest authorities said that the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve is home to 73 tigers, each of which needs a territory of 25-50 sq. km, due to which a few cats may be straying into villages located on the periphery of forests in search of new territory.

The onset of summer has also compounded the problem, but forest authorities said they have set up adequate saucer pits and water holes to ensure that tigers do not enter human habitations in search of water. Officials are also taking measures to avoid or control forest fires.

With farmers now resorting to setting up electric fences around their fields to check the entry of big cats, the forest authorities have asked the energy department not to provide power supply at night to villages located close to forests.

Forest authorities also appealed to the public not to harm tigers and to alert them if they spot one. They also warned those harming tigers of strict action.

Palnadu district forest officer N. Ramachandra Rao said, “We have got information that two to three tigers from NSSTR are moving in the fringe villages, probably in search of new territory and also for prey. We advise people not to panic and to alert the local forest officers in case they spot them and also not to harm them by any means as it invites penal action as per norms.”