KAMAREDDY: A tiger roaming in the forest fringes killed a cow and two calves in agricultural fields across Peddamallareddy, Sangameshwar and Amberpet villages in Bhiknoor and Domakonda mandals late on Monday night. The incidents occurred within a radius of about 8–9 kilometres.
Forest and veterinary officials visited the affected fields on Tuesday and examined the carcass of one calf in Sangameshwar village.
Kamareddy Forest Divisional Officer PV Rama Krishna said trackers had found fresh pugmarks in the Chukkapur forest area, indicating that the tiger may have returned to the forest. However, he cautioned that the animal could venture out again in search of food.
Forest officials confirmed the tiger’s movement in the region, triggering concern among residents of villages in Bhiknoor, Domakonda and Machareddy mandals. Notably, no tiger movement had been reported in these villages for over three decades, according to forest movement centres.
Officials said the presence of diverse wildlife indicated a healthy forest ecosystem and suggested that parts of the forest had regained protection. As a precaution, locals have been advised not to enter forest areas and to regulate timings for agricultural activities in villages close to the forest.
Meanwhile, teams of forest staff are engaging with sarpanches, gram panchayat secretaries and community elders to create awareness about tiger protection. Officials said provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act were being explained and warned that any harm to the animal would be treated as a serious offence. They added that public cooperation was crucial to ensure the safety and protection of wildlife.