HOSAPETE/GANGAVATHI: For the first time in nearly five decades, a tiger has been sighted in the forests near Hampi, marking a rare return of the big cat to the region. The tiger movement was captured on a camera trap at Kishkinda Hills in Koppal district. The last recorded presence of a tiger in these forests dates back to the 1970s.
The experts believe the tiger may have made the Kishkinda Hills its home for the last many months and might have moved here from the Shrishailam wildlife corridor in Andhra Pradesh.
Following information from locals about the presence of a tiger in the Yelugudda area of the taluk for the past three months, the Forest Department had installed camera traps in the hill region. The department has now confirmed the presence of a tiger after it was captured on one of the camera traps installed in the Temba area on Sunday.
An alert has been sounded in Hampi. Similarly, the Koppal Forest Department has sounded sirens in Sanapur, Basapur, Jabbalagudda, Benakal, Agoli, Venkatagi, Hanumanahalli and Junglirangapur areas, cautioning residents, shepherds, cattle herders and villagers against entering the Yelugudda region.
They have been advised not to venture into the area alone and to avoid sleeping outside their houses at night. Officials also urged residents to immediately inform the forest department if they spot or receive information about the tiger.
Additional forest staff have been deployed in the Yelugudda area for the past three days, and more camera traps have been installed to ascertain where and when the tiger entered the area. Indrajeet Ghorpade, said, “The habitat of Kishkinda is an old tiger area, and the tiger may have moved from some other forest.”
