KAKINADA : The adult male tiger, which strayed into human habitat in Kakinada district, continues to create panic among villagers as its movement has been noticed once again in a village of Prathipadu mandal. The tiger had earlier went into reserve forest giving some relief to forest officials and locals, but its movement in human habitation has become a cause for concern now. Locals found the pug marks of tiger near Pothuluru village where it killed cattle earlier and informed the matter to the forest officials.
An alert has been sounded in Pothuluru, Dharmavaram, Sarabhavaram and Ommangi villages. The officials, who were on a mission to capture the wild cat, said the tiger’s movement was first detected on May 23 itself but they could capture it in trap cameras only on May 27. Later, it was confirmed to be an adult male. Since then, the tiger has been on the prowl between Yeleswaram and Prathipadu mandals.
According to the officials, the wild cat has so far killed nine buffaloes, a cow and a calf. Two buffaloes and a cow escaped from the jaws of the tiger with injuries.
Forest and wildlife conservation officials have been tracking the movement of the tiger to capture it using cages and simultaneously deprived it of cattle as prey so that it moves into the forest. Officials heaved a sigh of relief when it started moving towards the reserve forest from Sarabhavaram via Kithamurupeta Girijanapuram in Prathipadu mandal on June 7. The tiger was captured in trap cameras for the last time on June 2 .
Tiger returns to Pothuluru, alert sounded
However, its movement was once again traced in Lingamparthi village near Yeleswaram. Though the officials tried to capture it, the wild cat evaded the bait. After the pug marks of the tiger were found at a pond in Pothuluru, the forest officials have activated all trap cameras and also arranged five cages. According to Yeleswaram reserve forest officer J Srinivas, the tiger might have observed human movement near the forest area into which it tried to enter. “Lingamparthi area has agriculture lands and there is a lot of movement of farmers,’’ he said. As it hunted down two buffaloes in the village, the tiger might be finding it a safe zone to get prey.