A solitary male tiger has successfully made its way back to its natural habitat in Papikonda National Park (PNP) from the outskirts of Eluru district. First spotted in a maize field on January 26, the tiger traversed over 100 kilometers before re-entering the PNP, which is situated along the Godavari river. Despite extensive efforts, there is no recorded information on the reasons behind the tiger’s departure from its habitat and its subsequent journey through agricultural fields and human settlements.
Fortunately, the tiger displayed good health upon its return, with no signs of injury reported by forest authorities. To ensure the tiger’s safety, specific details regarding its entry point into the national park were withheld. Although the PNP contains tribal settlements, coexistence between the local communities and wildlife has been observed. Forest officials, along with experts from the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), will continue monitoring the tiger’s movements until it fully acclimatizes to its habitat, where prey availability is abundant.
While the exact tiger population in PNP remains undisclosed, previous surveys conducted by the AP Forest Department recorded three tigers in 2016. The tiger’s departure from human-inhabited areas has brought relief to local communities, allowing agricultural activities and cattle rearing to resume in Eluru district.