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Wild animals parched in Nallamala
Tigers, leopards, bears and other wild animals of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve forest area are leaving the forest thirsty as drinking water sources here are exhausted. In search of water, they are becoming victims of road accidents and often fall prey to hunters.
Atmakur (Kurnool): Tigers, leopards, bears and other wild animals of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve forest area are leaving the forest thirsty as drinking water sources here are exhausted. In search of water, they are becoming victims of road accidents and often fall prey to hunters.
- All water sources in the forest go dry
- Tigers, leopards and other animals are falling in the trap of hunters while searching for water
- Forest dept spent `48 lakh up to 2012 for construction of water pits, percolation tanks, check dams and other structures
The lion’s share of the victims is the tigers and leopards only. The forest department, which had spent Rs. 48 lakh up to 2012 for construction of water pits, percolation tanks, check dams and other structures to quench the thirst of wild animals, reported to have conveniently forgotten to fill all water sources as all natural water resources including waterfalls and streams in the forest had dried up.
When contacted, the officials of the forest department are not able to give statistics about the allocation to provide drinking water to wild animals in Atmakur division of the Nallamala forest region, which is home to the largest number of tigers. According to 2013 Tiger Census, the NSTR region has more than 90 tigers and 400 leopards. But majority of tigers have been succumbing to heat waves and thirst besides falling prey to poachers.
After bifurcation, Andhra Pradesh has been allocated reserve forest region of 2,444 sq km with sizeable population of tigers. However, this zone has no adequate drinking water facility and other amenities. Taking a cue to the absence of alternative arrangements by forest officials, the hunters are targeting wild animals which enter the outskirts of villages.
Merciless practices of poisoning tigers to death have become a fun for the hunters during summer. Thirst of tigers could be quenched with improving water storage facilities in the core areas of the reserve forest. Limited number of solar pump sets are there, which should be increased.
