Hyderabad: A tiger that has been moving through Turkapally and Bhuvanagiri mandals in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district was sighted for the first time by forest officials near Chinna Lakshmipuram and Vasalamarri villages. The big cat also killed a calf there on Sunday morning, triggering fresh concern among villagers.Javed Hussain, deputy range officer, told TOI that the calf, belonging to farmer C Narasimhulu, was taken from a cattle shed on the outskirts of the village and dragged about a kilometre into nearby forested terrain. The incident came to light around 6.30 am when Narasimhulu went to milk his cows and found the calf missing. While searching for it, he noticed tiger pugmarks and followed them towards the forest, where he reportedly saw the tiger feeding on the calf.Narasimhulu alerted the villagers and informed the village sarpanch, who, in turn, alerted the forest officials. A forest department team reached the spot, confirmed that the pugmarks were those of a tiger, and installed camera traps and placed a cage near the site where the animal had preyed on the calf.Forest officials advised residents not to move alone, to avoid venturing into forest areas, and to return home before dusk. Shepherds have been asked to keep livestock away from forest fringes. Several teams, including animal trackers, have been deployed to monitor the tiger’s movement and prevent human–wildlife conflict. Thermal camera-equipped drones are also being used to track the animal.This is the fourth instance of cattle killing linked to the same tiger in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district since Jan 17, when it reportedly crossed into Telangana from Maharashtra. Earlier attacks were reported in Ibrahimpura, Ralla Jangaon, and Dattaipally villages.
