Khammam: Are the tigers wandering in Kinnerasani Wild Life Sanctuary? The officials are trying to find out. The dung in the dense forests in the sanctuary raised doubts on possible wandering of tigers in Khammam district.
The dung was sent to the Wildlife Research Institute in Dehradun in Utharakhand. The wildlife officials are waiting for the report. The wildlife institute in Dehradun, which was set up in 1982, used to take up various research projects on wildlife.
There are only panthers in the Kinnerasani and there is no whereabouts of tigers. But, the dung has given hopes on tigers’ presence in the sanctuary. The Kinnerasanit Wildlife Sanctuary, which is spread across 62,500 hectares, witnessed different species like tigers, panthers, sambar, gaur and crocodiles.
The Wildlife sanctuary was reduced to 40,000 hectare due to encroachments.
The sanctuary is spread in four Assembly segments — Kothagudem, Yellandu, Pinapaka and Wyra. Many of the people from plain areas are cultivating in the forest lands to the extent of 23,000 hectare in the guise Adivasis. Due to reduction in the area, the decrease in wildlife started.
At one estimate, there are only three panthers moving in the forest and these numbers may not be permanent due to the setting up of various projects surrounding the Sanctuary. The wildlife officials dug up water trenches in the sanctuary to address the water needs of the wildlife in the summer.
