The adult Royal Bengal Tiger that has eluded forest officials on several occasions and has given them many sleepless nights over the course of several weeks now seems to have fully adapted to its new habitat, as it has completed a ‘preliminary investigation’ across the length and breadth of the territory along the Polavaram project canal in Kakinada district.
On April 27, some pugmarks, believed to belong to the same tiger, were recorded for the first time at S. Kota in Vizianagaram Agency. Nearly six weeks after its search for a safe habitat, the male tiger that is thought to have attained breeding age seems to have settled in Kakinada district for good.
Given its movements over the last three weeks, its pattern of cattle kills and night stays near water bodies in Kakinada district, the tiger seems to have settled in well in a landscape where it initially encountered many challenges but has managed to get the better of every threat.
In Kakinada district, the tiger’s pugmarks were first recorded on May 27 along Polavaram project canal in Prathipadu mandal, from where it had moved towards Yeleru reservoir a few days ago. On Saturday night, it had again returned to its previous location near Prathipadu area, where the pugmarks were recorded along a certain stretch.
“The tiger has fully adapted to the landscape surrounded by the hills, Polavaram project canal system and Yeleru reservoir area in Kakinada district. Since May-end, it has left a long trail along this landscape, preying on cattle, moving along water bodies and avoiding venturing out during the day,” a wildlife expert who is part of the ongoing ‘rescue operation’ tells The Hindu..
“Among all the signs left behind by the elusive tiger, its return to its previous location establishes its behaviour of how it has adapted to the area for its survival. It is also staying one step ahead of our strategy to tranquilize it,” the expert adds, referring to the exercise to capture the tiger and safely release it into the Papikonda National Park.
On one night, the tiger returned to the spot of its cattle kill, left over from the previous night. However, it did not prey on it as it had sensed the equipment moved there to tranquilize it.
Smart moves
On the night of June 11, the tiger walked close to the Kathipudi national highway and was only 500 m away from it when it turned away, reportedly after sensing trouble due to the traffic noise.
Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife-Rajamundry) C. Selvam told The Hindu that teams would continue to monitor the tiger’s movements. “The rescue operation is still in progress, and experts are monitoring its movements,” he added.
