Telangana foresters intensify watch as 5 tigers enter from Maharashtra

The Telangana Forest Department has sounded a high alert after five tigers from neighbouring Maharashtra crossed the Godavari and Penganga rivers and entered the state’s forests, triggering warnings in areas including Kawal, Siddipet and Jagtial.

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Officials said tiger movement has increased across districts such as Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mulugu, Karimnagar and Jagtial, prompting heightened vigilance by forest and wildlife teams. The tigers are believed to have migrated due to rising population pressure and shrinking territory in Maharashtra’s sanctuaries, and have moved into the Kawal Tiger Reserve in search of habitat, with recent sightings reported in the Jannaram forest division.

Tigers on the move

Residents of forest villages reported sightings of five tigers in Mancherial, Chennur and open-cast Singareni mining areas. Officials traced their movement from Maharashtra’s Tadoba reserve through the Karjalli forests of the Kagaznagar division into Kawal. Telangana Wildlife Department official Anjaneyulu told The Federal Telangana that tigers from the border-area Tippeshwar Tiger Reserve have also entered Kawal in search of habitat, further increasing tiger presence in the region.

The movement of five tigers into Telangana has led the Tiger Cell to intensify surveillance in the Kawal Tiger Reserve. Officials said rising tiger numbers in reserves across Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have increased pressure on available habitat, forcing some animals to move out in search of territory, water and prey. The Tiger Cell is monitoring their movement through camera traps and video feeds, while alerting local communities and urging them not to harm the animals.

Rising sightings, past attacks

Tiger sightings have risen across several districts in recent weeks. On December 30, 2025, a tiger killed oxen in Bhupalpally district and was spotted across multiple nearby mandals. Forest officials confirmed tiger movement in parts of Siddipet on December 26, followed by reports of pugmarks near villages in Karimnagar on December 31. Sightings have since been reported in Rajanna Sircilla, Peddapalli, Jagtial and Adilabad districts, including cotton fields, prompting advisories to farmers to avoid venturing out alone. Tiger movement has also been recorded in forest areas of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, further widening the alert zone.

The growing tiger presence has also heightened safety concerns, with the region witnessing fatal attacks in the past. On November 11, 2020, a man from Digidi village in Dahegaon mandal was killed by a tiger while fishing near a pond. On November 29, 2020, a woman from Kondapalli village in Penchikalpet mandal was mauled to death while picking cotton, and on November 29, 2024, another woman was killed by a tiger in a cotton field in Gannaram village of Kagaznagar mandal.

Forest dept patrols and advisories

With tiger movement on the rise, forest patrols have been stepped up and residents advised to avoid wearing red, move in groups, stay off forest areas at night and raise alarms if a tiger is sighted. Officials said carcasses or distress calls of birds such as peacocks often signal tiger presence, and warned of strict action against electric fencing, traps or poisoning.

Senior wildlife official Anjaneyulu told The Federal Telangana that the Telangana Tiger Cell is tracking five tigers from Maharashtra through advanced e-surveillance, with camera traps across forest areas linked to a Hyderabad control centre to monitor movements and prevent human–animal conflict.

Creating space for tigers

To improve tiger habitat, the Forest Department relocated and rehabilitated residents of Maisampet and Rampur villages from Kawal’s core area to the Kadem region. Camera traps and forest check-posts have been set up to track tiger movement and curb poaching.

While tiger territories vary, the animals require vast forest tracts with adequate prey, water and shelter, often roaming across large distances. The 2021 tiger census recorded eight tigers in the Kagaznagar forest division of Kawal, which officials said had migrated from Maharashtra’s Tadoba and Tippeshwar reserves.

Project Tiger gets NTCA nod

Tiger population has surged in Maharashtra’s Tadoba, Tippeshwar and Kadamba reserves, with surveys estimating around 50 tigers in Tadoba alone and 35 in Indravati National Park. Habitat and prey pressure has pushed some tigers towards Kawal.

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In response, the Telangana Forest Department proposed relocating tigers from Maharashtra to Kawal under Project Tiger, a plan approved by the Maharashtra government and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Officials said preparations for the relocation are underway.

Situated in the former Adilabad district, the Kawal Tiger Reserve covers 2,015.44 sq km, with a core area of 892.23 sq km and a 1,123.21 sq km buffer along the Godavari and Penganga basins. The reserve offers abundant prey, water and dense cover. Jannaram Forest Officer Karem Srinivas said expanding grasslands have boosted herbivore numbers, drawing tigers from neighbouring states in search of rich hunting grounds.

Tiger census from Jan 19

Meanwhile, wildlife enumeration under the nationwide tiger census will be carried out in the Kawal Tiger Reserve from January 19 to 26, with carnivores counted in the first three days followed by herbivores, using pugmarks, scat and hair samples, and camera traps.

Forest officials said the influx of tigers from neighbouring states boosts prospects for biodiversity in Telangana, even as safety and conservation measures are being intensified.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana)