TIRUMALA: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials have decided to implement short-term and long-term measures to address the increasing movement of wild cats, including leopards, along the Tirumala ghat roads and footpaths.
TTD resolved to deploy additional personnel and improve garbage management along the Alipiri route. Officials also agreed to conduct regular joint drives involving Forest, Revenue, Panchayat Raj, Health, and Vigilance departments, with the support of Forest Department personnel.
The Wildlife Institute of India and the Forest Department will collaborate with the TTD in framing both short-term and long-term strategies under the MANIMAL Plan to mitigate human-animal conflict in the region. TTD will introduce enhanced surveillance measures along critical stretches of the Alipiri footpath, particularly the 2.5 km stretch from the Seventh Mile to the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple on the Down Ghat Road.
Safety equipment includes camera traps, bio-fences, net-guns, high-flash torches, smart sticks, and pepper sprays, with the goal of declaring Alipiri Footpath a “No Leopard Zone.” The administration will update the approved food list and strictly ban restricted items.