Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday, 29 May directed the state Forest Department to maintain round-the-clock surveillance following confirmed tiger movement along the forest border of Polavaram district. The directive came after a tiger attacked and killed nine sheep in a cattle shed within the jurisdiction of Chikilinta Panchayat on Wednesday night, raising alarm among forest-fringe communities.

What Triggered the Review

The attack occurred at an oil palm plantation barely 300 metres from the forest boundary, where the tiger preyed on grazing sheep. Forest Department officials confirmed during the review meeting that tiger movement has been recorded in the Thimmapuram Reserve Forest and that the animal is currently ranging toward nearby villages. Pawan Kalyan, who also holds the Forest and Environment portfolio, expressed sorrow over the livestock deaths and convened a high-level review with senior forest officials.

Key Directives Issued

Pawan Kalyan instructed that modern technology-equipped monitoring systems be deployed immediately to track the tiger's movements. Real-time information on the animal's location must be relayed promptly to residents of forest-border villages. He also ordered that HANUMAN (Healing and Nurturing Units for Monitoring, Aid and Nursing of Wildlife) teams be stationed in affected villages on a 24-hour basis, with additional teams to be deployed if the situation demands.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests has been asked to personally supervise all response measures. If required, a senior officer from the Forest Department's central office is to be dispatched to the site to oversee operations on the ground.

Community Safety Measures

Pawan Kalyan directed field staff to conduct continuous awareness camps in villages where tiger movement has been logged. Villagers have been advised against entering forests without necessity. Farmers have been specifically instructed not to tether livestock near forest areas or leave animals unattended — a precaution aimed at reducing the risk of further attacks on both humans and livestock.

Officials were told to engage with affected communities 'sensitively and humanely', acknowledging the hardship that wildlife movement imposes on those living along forest margins. All actions, Pawan Kalyan emphasised, must comply with wildlife conservation regulations.

Historical Context and What Comes Next

Pawan Kalyan noted that Forest Department personnel had previously handled a tiger-in-human-habitat situation with considerable efficiency, signalling confidence in field staff while underscoring the need for sustained vigilance. This incident is among the more serious wildlife-human conflict episodes reported in Andhra Pradesh's forest-border districts in recent months. Authorities are expected to scale up technology-based monitoring and community outreach in the days ahead as the tiger continues to move within the Thimmapuram Reserve Forest belt.