Tirupati: A speeding car hit a wild animal, suspected to be a tiger, and dragged for about half a kilometre in a forest in Nellore district on Monday. District forest officers have set out to track down the animal and provide it medical aid.
The car was driven by one Srinivasulu. All five occupants of the car, heading from Badvel to Nellore were safe. Officials are yet to confirm that the animal involved in the accident is a tiger.
The incident occurred when the animal was attempting to cross the national highway passing through the forest close to Kadirinaidupalli, Marripadu mandal.
Passengers reported that the big cat sustained injuries and went into the nearby forest after the collision.
Upon receiving information about the incident, forest officials arrived at the scene to investigate. The incident sparked panic among residents of villages surrounding the forests in Marripadu mandal, as tiger sightings are rare there. Historically, the region has not had a presence of tigers.
"The mysterious creature's identity remains unknown. Passengers claim that the vehicle dragged the animal for over half a kilometre, likely causing grave injuries. Prioritizing animal welfare, we have launched a search and rescue mission," said Nellore district forest officer Avula Chandra Sekhar.
"The dense forest cover makes it difficult to identify pug marks. Expert teams are trying to find and analyse pug marks and searching water bodies within a 2 km radius. A detailed analysis is needed to determine if the animal was a tiger or of another specie", the DFO said.
