The district forest officials have alerted the villagers abutting the reserve forests of Manala and Marrimadla regions in Yellareddypet mandal following the spotting of four leopards in the region recently.
The tribals living in the Guntapalli thanda and Almaspur in Yellareddypet mandal and Kancherla village in Veernapalli mandal and Marrimadla forests in Konaraopeta mandal were informed not to venture into the forests during the evening and night hours. Even the shepherds and cattle-herds were cautioned while entering into the forests of the region.
One leopard dead
The forest officials suspect that the wild cats might have entered Rajanna-Sircilla district from the Nirmal forests in Adilabad district and neighbouring Bheemgal forests of Nizamabad district. Incidentally, the animals have not harmed anyone so far. In turn, a leopard had died a natural death as is evident from a carcass of the wild animal recovered in the forests of Naligandi.
The officials suspect that the wild animal, aged around four year, might have died due to ill-health some 30 days ago. The officials had earlier recovered the carcass of a leopard in Rajeshwarapeta village on the outskirts of Ibrahimpatnam mandal in 2014 and in Vettampeta village of Metpally mandal in 2017.
Search for food
Forest Range Officer Kadari Anitha said that they had credible information about the movement of four leopards in the forests and there was every possibility of their venturing into human habitations in search of food.
“We have decided to place camera traps at all the vantage points and water bodies and identify the movement of wild animals and take necessary measures for the safety of the animals as well as the villagers,” she stated.
