Tiger's Territory Quest: Forest Officials Track Elusive Big Cat

A young adult male tiger has been moving across the Siddipet and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts of Telangana for approximately two weeks. Forest officials and wildlife experts are closely monitoring the animal, which exhibits cautious behavior and avoids human habitations. Its movements suggest it is exploring and establishing territory, rather than seeking a mate. The tiger primarily restricts itself to forest patches and revenue lands, moving within a range of 6-8 km since entering Telangana.

Officials are considering that the tiger might be J1, previously sighted in the Jannaram forest landscape, or may have originated from forest areas in Maharashtra, such as Tipeshwar or Penganga. This possibility is being verified through inter-state coordination. Camera trap data has confirmed the tiger is male and healthy. Its recent kill history, consisting of five calf kills, is being attributed to a young animal honing its hunting skills. Efforts are focused on continuous monitoring without causing harm to the public or the tiger, with cage traps and tranquilization experts on standby.

The tiger's dispersal patterns suggest potential exit routes towards the Jannaram landscape or Maharashtra, or a drift towards Amrabad or Kawal Tiger Reserves. However, the connecting forest patches are not considered ideal. The ongoing surveillance utilizes camera traps and thermal drones to map its movement across fragmented forest areas and revenue lands intersecting with human settlements.