Why is the elusive tiger continuing to kill cattle in Telangana's Siddipet district?
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Hyderabad, Feb 8 (NationPress) The Telangana Forest Department has escalated its efforts to capture a tiger that has been on a cattle killing rampage in the villages of Siddipet district in the state.
Residents of Arepally village in Koheda Mandal are living in fear after several farmers encountered the elusive feline.
The big cat has claimed the lives of five calves near Chandranaik Thanda, with farmer Maloth Ramesh suffering losses.
Responding to local alerts, officials from the Forest Department and police arrived to gather pugmarks.
Authorities have advised farmers against tying their cattle in fields and instead to secure them safely at home.
Additionally, forest officials have urged farmers to avoid going alone into the fields. Women, seniors, and children are advised to stay vigilant.
Previously, this tiger has also attacked cattle in the villages of Ghanapur, Akkenapally, and Baswapuram within the district.
In Ghanapur, a farmer named Bal Reddy discovered a calf killed and another severely injured upon checking his cattle shed.
Forest officials have begun tracking the animal by following its pugmarks and are installing camera traps in the areas where the cattle were harmed.
Reports of the tiger's movement surfaced on Saturday in several villages within Dhoolmitta Mandal.
Farmers noted pugmarks in the fields of Bairanpalle, Kootigal, and Bekkal, prompting the forest team to launch a search operation.
Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious and avoid venturing into fields alone during early mornings until it is confirmed that the tiger has vacated the area.
The big cat is believed to have entered Siddipet from the neighboring Jangaon, where it was responsible for cattle deaths in Ammapur and Veldanda villages on Saturday.
Just a day prior, a calf was killed at Mandalagudem village in Raghunathpally Mandal.
This tiger is suspected to have crossed into Telangana from Maharashtra.
This marks the second such incident in the Telugu states within a week. On February 6, forest officials in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district successfully captured a tiger that had been roaming nearby Rajahmundry, causing distress among the locals.
The tiger was believed to have migrated into Andhra Pradesh from Maharashtra, traversing through Telangana and Chhattisgarh.