Yeleswaram Foresters Tracking Tiger to Avoid Man-animal Conflict

Vijayawada: Authorities of the Yeleswaram reserve forest area in Kakinada district are making all out efforts to track the tiger on the prowl by setting up six camera traps and training foresters to keep a track of its pug marks.

Ever since the tiger attacked and killed a calf at Buradakota village of Prathipadu mandal in Kakinada district on December 7, foresters have been trying to keep a track of the big cat.

They have alerted concerned police and revenue officers about the movement of the tiger, so that they will be on high alert to come to the rescue of people in case of any attack.

Foresters have taken up tom-tom campaigns to alert villagers about the movement of the tiger. Villagers are being advised to move only in groups in their villages and carry sticks as a precautionary measure. They are being advised about the safety measures they must follow in case they find the tiger moving around. The most important of these is to alert forest personnel immediately.

As a safety measure, authorities have ordered closure of the Darapalli waterfall. This is to avoid the risk to people in case the tiger is moving in the vicinity of the waterfall.

Teams of forest personnel are moving on foot on hill tops and along the narrow paths in the forest area to trace firm pug marks of the tiger or killing of any animal by it.

Kakinada district forest officer D. Ravindra Nath Reddy said, “We have already taken up all requisite measures to track the tiger to avoid any man-animal conflict. We are advising villagers to be cautious until we find that the tiger has moved away from the area.”