
NELLORE: The prolonged delay in creating a crucial wildlife corridor linking the Nallamala and Seshachalam forests has led to another tragic incident where a leopard was fatally struck by a vehicle near the proposed corridor site.
This recent hit-and-run case underscores the pressing need for safe animal crossings to protect wildlife from increasing road accidents.
The corridor, envisioned as a vital route for wild animals, including tigers, leopards, and deer, was designed to provide seamless connectivity between the two forests.
However, bureaucratic delays and lack of funding have left the project in limbo, forcing wildlife to venture onto highways and human settlements in search of food and water.
Wildlife casualties have become distressingly frequent. In March and January 2022, three leopards died in separate accidents on National Highway 565. Numerous incidents involving deer and wild boars have also been reported, with a deer being the most recent victim near Bujabuja Nellore. In June 2022, another leopard was severely injured in a road accident.
Speaking on the issue, a senior forest official said, “We have already submitted proposals for underpasses on national highways. To support wildlife during the summer, we have established water pits and are installing warning boards. Once the underpasses are completed, wildlife accidents will decrease significantly.”
The corridor’s development is crucial not only for wildlife safety but also for biodiversity conservation. Tigers occasionally travel from Nallamala to Seshachalam but return due to the lack of continuous forest cover. The absence of the corridor has hindered potential reintroductions of tigers and put other species at risk.
Spanning nearly 400,000 hectares across four districts, the proposed corridor is seen as a solution to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Conservationists argue that without swift action, more wildlife fatalities are inevitable.
Efforts to expand the Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam tiger zone by an additional 500,000 acres have also come to a halt. Forest officials note increasing tiger activity between Nellore and Kadapa districts, further emphasising the need for uninterrupted connectivity.
In response to rising concerns, authorities have implemented temporary measures, such as installing CCTV cameras, raising awareness, and creating water troughs to keep wildlife within forest boundaries. However, activists contend that these steps are insufficient without the corridor’s completion.
Nellore district, home to over 1,030 square km of forest, faces significant wildlife threats due to three national highways passing through its borders. Vehicle collisions are a common occurrence, with 15 leopard deaths reported in the region in 2022 alone. Three of those fatalities occurred within Atmakur Range.
Proposals for underpasses along NH 565 and the Mumbai road, as well as plans for a long flyover to facilitate safe wildlife crossings, remain unfulfilled. The Penusila Nrisimha Sanctuary is the only exception where conservation measures have progressed. Without timely action and adequate funding, officials fear the grim pattern of wildlife fatalities will persist, endangering biodiversity and threatening the region’s fragile ecosystem.
Conservationists continue to urge the government to prioritise the wildlife corridor and related projects for the long-term preservation of Andhra Pradesh’s forest heritage.