Chennur forest officials spot three tigers instead of one

Hyderabad: Even though the tiger population has taken a hit in recent times, forest officials of Chennur division of Mancherial district made a surprising observation. They spotted three tigers while expecting only one to be there.

Previous observations have shown only one tiger (K-4) in areas such as Chennur, Kotapally and Vemanpally. However, since the past month, CCTV footage has shown around three tigers roaming in the area.

The forest officials have also begun taking precautionary measures, keeping in mind their prior experiences. They have also organised nine different official groups for the same. With the killing of a tiger in Kotapally three years ago still fresh, forest officials are trying to limit the number of people who are aware of the animals.

It is especially crucial, as the big cats started their hunt in Chennur, Kotapally and Vemanpally Mandal 15 days ago. The tigers have already killed five cows in the Pangadisomaram village of Kotapally on Wednesday. Forest officials examined the area and instructed people from nearby communities not to go near the hunting sites.

In the past month, Tigers have killed four goats in Chennur. Officials have cited an increase in appetite during winter as the reason for the attacks. “Farmers are using electric wires in rural areas to save their crops from wild animals. It may pose a danger to tigers if they touch it,” said a forest official.

The officials had only seen one female tiger (K-4). Whereas, now, officials suspect one male tiger from Asifabad (A-1) and one more from Sirpur (S-1) of attacking cows. The officer added that even if the tigers were roaming together, they wouldn’t stay together, as they will go to different areas every day.

“We have set up nine teams for the safety of these tigers. The groups will monitor the felines’ movements daily, as these creatures don’t stay in one location. We have alerted the base camp staff at Kotapally, and the nearby villagers about the movement of the tigers,” said Raja Rao, a forest officer with the Chennur division. He added that they had taken precautionary measures to avoid past incidents.