`Tiger Zinda Hai': Big cat from Bor WLS reaches Telangana’s KTR core area

Adilabad: Despite severe 'obstacles' in its rather long 'journey', a young adult male tiger from the small Bor Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in the Wardha district of Maharashtra has managed to find its way into the buffer area of Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) in north Telangana.

The development has spurred new hope of attracting migrant big cats to the thick core area. Given the proximity of the last known location of the wandering tiger to the core area, a section of foresters assert that the estimated 3-year-old wild animal has already reached the place.

Spread over the forest in Adilabad, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, and Nirmal districts, KTR has a core area of over 890 sq km and a buffer of about 2,100 sq km.

It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2012, thanks to its thick forests. The place has consistently attracted migrant tigers from several areas of Maharashtra over the dozen years of its existence but hardly any animal went resident.

On November 12, the incoming tiger had killed a cattle at Burka Regadi village in Pembi Forest Range of Nirmal Forest Division. This location is just a score km away from the KTR core hence the inference of Foresters.

The tiger was first reported about 10 days back from the Boath area of Adilabad district which shares its borders with Kinwat taluka in the Nanded district of Maharashtra. In the absence of a proper confirmation, it was assumed that the big cat belonged to Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Yavatmal district of the neighboring, also located on the inter-State border.

The animal, however, has now been conclusively identified to be from Bor WLS as the Maharashtra Forest Department is also monitoring its progression camera trapping it at various locations. After getting out of its habitat sometime in the first half of October, the tiger is assumed to have' walked' over 200 km to the inter-state border near Kinwat.

On its way to the Kinwat Territorial forest, the tiger first killed a cattle near Arni. After crossing the territorial forest, it entered Penganga WLS which is adjacent to the KInwat Sub Divisional headquarters town.

"It did not stay in the Penganga WLS due to the presence of a dominant male there," opined a wildlifer from Adilabad who has been keeping a close watch on the developments. "From Penganga WLS, the tiger moved to Bodhdi village, also a bordering habitation, where it killed a cattle," he added.

The majestic male crossed over into the Adilabad Forests before moving to Apparaopet near Sarangapur mandal in Nirmal district keeping to the west of Adilabad and Nirmal districts. As this forest is the territory of a resident male and female, the newcomer moved onto Kuntala mandal and even took the return journey soon enough.

As it sauntered towards the east of the forest getting closer to KTR, the tiger crossed its biggest hurdle, the NH 44, presumably near Burugupalli in Mamda Forest Range in Nirmal Forest Division. It is on the last leg of its quite lengthy journey to KTR through vast swathes of cotton fields, often with illegally electrified fencings.

The question is how long will it stay in the KTR in the absence of a female tiger. Some four months back, a tiger was reported to have arrived in the core area but there is no word about it after that.