ONGOLE: A tiger attack reported on Tuesday near the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) has sparked fear among villagers in the Markapur region after a buffalo was found killed in a suspected big cat attack.
The owner, T Venkateswara Reddy of Gottipadiya village, said the incident occurred when his cattle went grazing near Mella Cheruvu. Villagers who examined the carcass identified it as a tiger attack and alerted forest officials, who confirmed recent tiger movement in the area.
Forest officials installed trap cameras and launched night patrols to monitor the tiger’s activity. They urged villagers to stay away from forest border areas and avoid venturing alone into nearby fields.
Meanwhile, panic also spread in the Peddaraveedu–Nagulavaram forest range, where recent tiger sightings were reported near several villages, including Kotturu, Mohiuddinpuram, Veerabhadrapuram, Ardhaveedu, Kakarla, and Yachavaram.
“We believe the tiger strayed from its territory in search of food or water and is likely to return to the NSTR core area soon,” said M Prasada Reddy, Deputy Forest Range Officer. “There is no need to panic, but people must remain cautious,” he added.