AP forest authorities mull releasing four tiger cubs into forest

Speaking to reporters at Atmakur forest division office, forest department deputy director G Vignesh Appavu said their staff were putting all efforts to trace Tigress 108.

The four cubs that were rescued near Peddagummadapuram village

KURNOOL: Three days on, search for the missing mother tigress that had abandoned its four cubs near Peddagummadapuram village under Nallamalla’s Musalimadugu forest section in Nandyal district on March 6 continued on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at Atmakur forest division office, forest department deputy director G Vignesh Appavu said their staff were putting all efforts to trace Tigress 108. He added given the territorial nature of wild cats, the tigress would not venture into other areas. “We are contemplating releasing the four tiger cubs into the forest hoping that they can reunite with the tigress,” Vignesh elaborated.

“We have collected the pugmark near Peddagummadapuram village. However, it is still not confirmed whether the pugmark is of the mother tigress. According to a shepherd, a tiger was traced in the forest near the village. We are investigating the matter,”he said. The forest department deployed additional 300 staff to trace the tigress in the Nallamalla forest range.