ONGOLE: Villagers of Pedda Bommalapuram in Dornala mandal reported tiger movement near their crop fields on Sunday, triggering fear in the region.
Residents said they saw the tiger roaming in the Gandi Cheruvu area close to their fields, filmed the sighting and informed forest officials.
Forest Range Officer Hari and his team visited the village, inspected the fields and confirmed tiger footprints in the area.
They warned villagers to remain cautious while venturing into forests or remote fields alone.
Officials assured that measures would be taken to protect residents and cattle, including fixing trap cameras to track the tiger’s movement.
If necessary, they said, the big cat would be shifted back into the core area of NSTR.
Meanwhile, farmers of Immadicheruvu and Rallapalli villages in Veligandla mandal reported leopard movement near their crop fields on Saturday night while patrolling to safeguard their crops.
On Sunday, they informed forest officials and requested protection for their cattle.
Officials assured preventive steps to protect villagers and livestock from possible leopard attacks.