Adilabad: Agriculture labourers and farmers were panicked over a tiger attack in Kagaznagar mandal, where the cotton picking process was affected as a result.
A tiger attacked cattle grazer Alluri Gulab Das, 40, near Nandiguda in the mandal in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district on Tuesday evening.
This is the harvesting season for cotton across the region. Farmers scared of possible tiger attacks said they were afraid of going into the agriculture field.
Kagazngar FRO Venugopal and FDO Venubabu visited the spot where the tiger attacked the cattle grazer and they also found the carcass of a cattle.
The forest staff advised local villagers and farmers not to venture out after sunset. They must return home early after completing agriculture operations to avoid fresh animal attacks.
During November to December, tigers move places for mating and in search of a permanent habitat. Human-animal conflicts are taking place during this period.
Last year, in the same period, a tiger killed a farmer, Sidam Bheem, 69, while he was guarding his cotton crop in Khanapur village in Chowpanguda gram panchayat in Wankidi in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. It happened on Nov 15.
The tiger crossed the main road and moved to Kagaznagar mandal, then entered residential areas and created panic among the residents in Kagaznagar town.
A tiger migrated to the Telangana border from Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve and killed Sidam Vignesh, 22. of Digida village in Dahegoan mandal on Nov 11, 2020.
The same tiger killed a girl, Pasula Nirmala, 15, while she was picking cotton in the fields adjacent to the forest area on the outskirts of Kondapalli village in Penchikalpet mandal on Nov 29, 2020.
It is confirmed that the tigers are wandering in the forests and moving from place to place in search of prey, for permanent habitat and also mating.
Farmer Kiran of Kagaznagar said cattle grazers go inside the forests during the cotton picking season when farmers do not allow the cattle in the surroundings of the agriculture fields.
“At the same time, tigers come close to agriculture fields in search of prey and hence human-animal conflicts take place,” he said and added that farmers panicked over the incident of tiger attack and stopped going for cotton-picking.”
Two tigers with their two cubs were moving in the Ankushapur forest area. They made the area a habitat because of its abundant water facilities and dense forests. The tigers were seen moving along with the Komaram Bheem project canal that passes through the area. The Ankushapur road was connected to Maharashtra via Wankidi.
