KAMAREDDY: The villages lack sufficient lands designated for grazing, forcing cattle, sheep and goat herders to depend on forest lands. This has led to increased disturbances within the forests and occasional wild animal attacks on livestock in the villages.
On Sunday, a leopard killed a calf in Thimmapur village, Yellareddy mandal. Chimna Sathyanarayana, a farmer, kept his buffalo in his agricultural fields overnight as usual. On Monday morning, he discovered a calf killed by the leopard. Forest officials confirmed the attack.
Kamareddy district comprises two lakh acres of forest land spread across 180 blocks, with nearly 200 villages located close to the forest boundaries. Historically, 10% of government land in every village was allocated for grass cultivation, helping meet the grazing needs of livestock while maintaining a balance with forest ecosystems. However, over time, the allocation of government land for grazing has decreased. This reduction has pushed herders to venture into forest areas for fodder, disrupting wildlife habitats. Occasionally, wild animals stray into villages and attack livestock.
In recent years, the Forest department has implemented measures to conserve and increase wildlife populations. As a result, such incidents of wild animals attacking livestock have become relatively rare.
Kamareddy Forest Divisional Officer (FDO) PV Rama Krishna said that allocating grazing land in villages would help protect livestock and maintain the separation between wild animals and human settlements. “We have submitted a report on this matter to higher authorities, highlighting the need for designated grazing lands,” he said.