Warangal: After a flood-stranded tiger entered Kotapalli village in Mancherial district, another 'big cat' is prowling the dense forests bordering Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Mulugu districts.
Telangana forest department officials have intensified their search for the tiger that is believed to have killed a cow in the Palimela mandal of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. As a result, forest officials warned residents in the villages to be constantly vigilant because the tiger was on the prowl, posing a threat to both humans and cattle.
Following information from Timmetigudem villagers that a cow carcass had been found in the fields near the forest range, forest officials accompanied by animal tracker teams went to the location and traced the tiger's footprints.
Venkateshwarlu, a Palimela forest range officer, stated that they discovered the Tiger's footprints as it moved from Singampally to Kamanpally village via Mukunur and Timmetigudem forests. He also stated that they found the tiger's footprints on Monday morning, indicating that it had entered the dense forests of Mulugu district's Eturnagaram.
Meanwhile, forest officials warned villagers about the precautions they should take to protect themselves and advised them not to venture into the forests or graze cattle, goats, or sheep as a result of the tiger's movement. They also ordered farmers to remove any traps or electric fencing they had set up to protect their fields from wild animals and warned them that if anyone tried to harm the tiger, they would face severe consequences under the law. Human-big cat conflict has not only posed a threat to tigers, but has also proven to be a major issue for people living in and around their habitat.
There were reports of a tiger lifting cattle from the surrounding areas around Kotapalli village in Mancherial district a few days ago. Tiger movement was also observed on the outskirts of Nagampet, Venchapalli, Edagatta, and Bopparam villages, which are located on the outskirts of the Kotapalli Forest Range. The tiger reportedly killed two cattle on the outskirts of Edagatta village in Kotapalli mandal in the first week of August.
