Tiger kills two cows, attack pushes Vizag tribals to edge

VISAKHAPATNAM: Panic prevailed in Chinnakonela village after a tiger attacked two cows in Veduruvada II Reserve Forest at Anantagiri mandal in Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Saturday. Forest section officer Satyam said a five-member team, including forest range officer, section officer and beat officer, visited the village in Rompilli panchayat on Sunday on receiving a complaint about the attack.

On observing the bite marks on the carcass of the cattle, forest officers confirmed that the cows were attacked by a tiger. However, they could not find any pug marks due to the rocky terrain in the forest section, he explained. Camera traps have been install to track the tiger’s movement. Satyam added that a cage will be set up in a week to trap the big cat.

Stating that the tiger has marked 35 km in the reserve forest as its territory, the forest officer said the wild cat had killed three cattle heads on January 3 in Rompilli panchayat. Following this, 10 villages in the vicinity have been alerted. The tiger also made a kill at Devupalli near Kondapalli in Vizianagaram district.Meanwhile, the tribals expressed that the lack of electricity in the village has added to their worries. They added that authorities were considering a proposal to electrify the villages.

Girijana Sangham secretary Konaparti Simhachalam and AP Girijana Sngham Fifth Schedule Sadhana Committee district honorary president K Govinda Rao demanded electrification of 10 tribal villages.Noting that three cows have been killed in one month, Rompilli ward member Somala Appala Raju said the veterinary and forest officials failed to extend the compensation that was promised to the cattle rearers.