RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM/ELURU: East Godavari forest officials have intensified operations to track and capture a tiger that has been elusive for the past 20 days across the Godavari districts.
Speaking to TNIE Forest Range Officer N. Daveedu Raju said the tiger is believed to be hiding in the area between Venkatapuram and Thorredu villages, which lies in close proximity to the River Godavari near Rajamahendravaram.
Forest authorities have arranged a cage, installed trap cameras, and deployed CCTV cameras at strategic locations to monitor the animal’s movement. Special teams have been formed and are working round-the-clock to track the tiger. Based on its behavior, the animal hunts only when it is hungry. So far, it has killed two cows and one calf,” the officer said, adding that there is a possibility of the tiger hunting again during the night.
Forest officials said tiger pugmarks were identified at Venkatanagaram on Monday and Chinakondepudi village in Seethanagaram mandal, confirming its movement in the region on Sunday.
The pugmarks were found in the agricultural field of a local farmer, triggering alert among nearby villages.
Officials believe the tiger may have crossed the Godavari near Pattiseema after moving through Eluru and Polavaram areas, possibly from the Chhattisgarh side.
As a precaution, residents of Chinakondepudi, Pedakondepudi, Cheepurapalli and Nagampalli villages have been advised to remain vigilant, avoid visiting fields after 5 p.m., ensure lighting near cattle sheds, and report any sightings immediately.
Forest officials expressed confidence that the tiger would eventually return to the forest safely.
Distict administration has announced the holidays to the local school in Rajanagaram, Sitanagaram and Korukonda mandals.
Meanwhile the veterinary surgeon Dr Phanindra said the tiger’s weight is likely 200 kgs and so the forest department has to follow the guidelines of National Tiger Conservative Authority.
‘We should guide the tiger to return to forest. He said the national park of Papikondalu is just 15 km away from the place. It seems if it cross river Godavari, it may go slowly to the park,’ he said.
On the other hand, Eluru Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Pothamsetti Sandeep Reddy has said that tiger movement
in parts of Eluru district, including Koyyalagudem, is linked to the animal’s migration period during January, when tigers often move out of forest areas in search of new territory.
Speaking on the issue, the DFO Sandeep Reddy stated that the government will provide compensation to villagers whose livestock were killed by the tiger, and assured that payments will be released at the earliest after verification.
He appealed to the public to cooperate with forest officials and strictly follow safety advisories issued from time to time.
Earlier, in January 2026, forest officials confirmed tiger movement after pugmarks were found near Pandirimamidigudem and surrounding villages in Eluru district.
A similar pattern was observed in December 2025, when a farmer from Gopalapuram mandal reported sightings of a tiger along with a cub, triggering widespread anxiety across nearby villages.
Although officials did not find immediate conclusive evidence at that time, camera traps were installed as a precautionary measure, reflecting growing concern over repeated animal movements into non-forest areas.
Sandeep Reddy noted that young or dispersing tigers often move out of core forest habitats due to habitat fragmentation, shrinking forest cover and declining prey availability, forcing them to cross into human-dominated landscapes.
During 2025-26, tiger movements were also reported near human settlements in Telangana region that borders |Andhra Pradesh, he stated.