Tiger movements at Udayagiri Fort trigger panic

Nellore: A panic situation prevailed among people of Udayagiri after suspected movements of a tiger in surrounding villages on Thursday.

The issue was immediately brought to the notice of the forest officials who came to conclusion after identifying its pugmarks in the villages such as Vaddipalli, Bandakindapalli, and Banaganapalli road way.

Forest Department officials warned people not to wander lonely in the forest to avoid danger.

They advised people to travel in groups in case of emergency.

Most of the villages in Udayagiri mandal including some area of the town is covered with dense forest. People used to go to the forest for various needs like collecting firewood from the forest.

The Udayagiri Biriyani which is known for its special taste is cooked with firewood collected from the forest by the hoteliers.

And another reason people frequently go into the forest is for collecting drinking water flowing from Waterfall comprising with medicinal values.

“We used to collect the water flowing down from the waterfall as there is sentiment in the public that diseases would get cured due to its medicinal values”, said resident Avula Rosaiah.

Farmers too take the cattle in to forest to fetch grass and also take animals feed grass. Earlier there are several instances of tiger killing the cattle and injuring farmers.