Tiger ‘Explorer’ walks back to Papikonda National Park

The transient male tiger, named ‘Explorer’, took a U-turn and was seen walking back towards the Papikonda National Park through the dense forest cover in Kakinada district on Tuesday.

Over the past 24 hours, the tiger had walked for more than 25 kilometers and was sighted near the Yeleru reservoir. However, by Tuesday night, the tiger was seen in the Bouruvaka Reserve Forest, located between the Pampa reservoir and the Yeleru reservoir, away from human habitations. 

Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Advisor to Andhra Pradesh Forest Department P. Mallikarjuna Rao said; “Experts and forest department personnel had prepared the ground to tranquillise the tiger if its movements required for it.”

Mr. Mallikarjuna Rao thanked the local communities for their support and for implementing the strategy and deployment of forest personnel in their areas for the tranquillisation of the tiger. 

“Personnel of the 11 teams of HANUMAN (Healing And Nurturning Units for Monitoring, Aid & Nursing of Wildlife) are tracking the movement of the tiger and alerting the local communities about its route,” said Mr. Mallikarjuna Rao. 

An official associated with the operation told The Hindu that the tiger would have been tranquilised if it had not walked back towards the Papikonda National Park.