KAKINADA: The forest officials are suspecting that the tiger, which strayed into human habitat at Prathipadu mandal in Kakinada district nine days ago, is heading back to the forest.
The officials said the wild cat, identified as a young adult male, has not been traced since the past few days. It has moved five kilometres towards the reserve forest from the Pushkara lift irrigation pump house, the place where it had earlier preyed on a buffalo, officials said.
The tiger is moving towards the forest in Narsipatnam of erstwhile Visakhapatnam district, they added. Sources told The New Indian Express that the tiger might be the one which was spotted in Vizianagaram and in Vizag but was not captured in any cameras.
A total of 150 forest officials are tracing the carnivore with the help of 52 trap cameras. They are likely to continue tracking it until it has been confirmed that the tiger has returned back to its habitat.