Hyderabad: Forest officials in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district have reported that a tiger previously spotted in the area is now believed to have crossed into Maharashtra. Adilabad Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Neeraj Kumar addressed the media on Monday, stating that search operations for the tiger are ongoing.
Over the past three days, 20 teams have been combing the forests to trace the tiger’s movements. DFO Neeraj Kumar noted that the tiger was tracked moving towards Cheelapalli and Araguda areas before crossing into Maharashtra. A recent tiger attack on livestock in Maharashtra’s Antargaon region is suspected to involve the same tiger previously seen near Kagaznagar.
As a precautionary measure, Section 144 has been imposed in 15 villages across Asifabad district. Forest officials have attributed the increased tiger sightings to a significant rise in their population in the Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary over the past four years.
Officials explained that November marks the natural mating season for tigers, during which they travel longer distances in search of mates. This behaviour often leads them to venture beyond forest boundaries, sometimes into human-inhabited areas. Tigers also tend to be more aggressive during this period, leading to a spike in tiger attacks during November and December. Authorities have urged residents in the region to remain vigilant while the search operations continue. (INN)