आंध्र प्रदेश: राजमुंद्री के पास बाघ का आतंक, गाँवों में दहशत

Andhra Pradesh: Panic continues in villages near Rajahmundry as a tiger’s movement has triggered fear among residents. In the early hours of Thursday, a tiger attacked and killed a cow at Punyakshetram village in Rajanagaram mandal. The cow belonged to farmer Pantham Satyanarayana. The incident occurred at dawn, intensifying concerns over public safety. According to officials, the tiger had changed its direction from the Akkamma Thalli Konda area in Namavaram and moved towards Punyakshetram village. On Wednesday night, the tiger was also reportedly sighted by people traveling on a motorcycle near Namavaram, before it disappeared into a palm oil plantation. MLA Bathula Balaramakrishna visited the affected area and urged residents of Punyakshetram village to remain on high alert. Meanwhile, forest department officials stated that all arrangements have been made to capture the tiger. A special team has been deployed, and tranquilizer guns have been kept ready to sedate the animal. Officials confirmed that necessary permissions have already been obtained from the National Tiger Authority, New Delhi, as well as the Prime Minister’s Office. The tiger’s journey reportedly began nearly 20 days ago from the Tadoba Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra. It is believed to have traveled through the forests of Chhattisgarh, Khammam district in Telangana, Kannapuram forest, Polavaram region in Andhra Pradesh, crossed the Godavari River near Pattiseema, and moved through Seethanagaram mandal, Rajahmundry Rural, Thorruru, and Rajanagaram mandal, finally reaching Punyakshetram village. So far, the tiger is said to have killed more than 15 cattle, raising serious concerns among villagers. With Operation Tiger underway, tension prevails over whether the forest department will successfully capture the tiger and restore normalcy in the region.