Nizamabad: Residents along the Nizamabad and Rajanna Sircilla district border are on edge after repeated sightings of a tiger, identified by its pugmarks as “S12.” The forest department has stepped up efforts to track the animal’s movements, deploying additional camera traps deep inside the reserve forests.On Thursday, a calf was found dead in Pakala village of Sirikonda mandal, prompting fears of another tiger attack. However, following an onsite inspection, district forest officer B. Nikitha and divisional forest officers Bhavani Shanker and Ramakrishna confirmed the kill was made by a leopard, not the tiger.Earlier, on July 14, S12 reportedly killed a calf near School Thanda in Ramareddy mandal, Kamareddy district. Officials believe the tiger may have dispersed from Kawal Tiger Reserve in the erstwhile Adilabad district. Pugmarks were first recorded near a water tank in Sirikonda mandal before being traced to School Thanda.The exact location of S12 remains unknown. Chief wildlife warden Yelusingh Meru is expected to visit Kamareddy district on July 18to review search operations. Forest officials have urged residents to avoid venturing deep into the forest, warning that the tiger could attack livestock, and potentially humans, along forest fringes.Fresh pugmarks were discovered 2 km from School Thanda on Thursday, but officials have withheld precise details while they attempt to capture clear images of the tiger. “If the tiger senses human presence, it will retreat deeper into the forest,” Kamareddy divisional forest officer Ramakrishna told Deccan Chronicle. “Our priority is to ensure the safety of both people and wildlife.”
Source link
