A radio-collared tiger from Andhra Pradesh’s Papikonda National Park has entered the Motu forest range in Odisha’s Malkangiri district, prompting the forest department to deploy rapid response teams, increase surveillance and alert villagers in adjoining areas.
The tiger was spotted in the Motu range on Monday after authorities in Andhra Pradesh alerted their Odisha counterparts about its movement. Malkangiri divisional forest officer Sai Kiran DN said the animal was currently moving within the jurisdiction of the range and that precautionary measures had been initiated under the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s standard operating procedure.
The department has deployed rapid response teams and frontline forest staff to continuously monitor the tiger’s movement. Officials are also tracking fresh sightings, pugmarks and any unusual activity reported from the area, the divisional forest officer said.
Villagers in nearby areas have been advised to remain vigilant, avoid vulnerable locations and refrain from approaching or disturbing the animal. The department has also asked residents not to enter areas where the tiger may be present and to immediately inform the nearest forest personnel about any sighting or signs of movement.
Awareness campaigns are being conducted in adjoining villages to explain the precautions residents should take while the tiger remains in the Motu forest range. The measures are intended to reduce the possibility of an encounter between the animal and local residents while allowing officials to track its movement.
The radio collar provides authorities with a means of monitoring the tiger after its movement from Papikonda National Park into Odisha. The cross-border movement has required coordination between forest officials in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, with the initial alert coming from the Andhra authorities.
Sai Kiran said the forest department was closely monitoring the situation to prevent any untoward incident and to protect both villagers and the tiger. Officials have been instructed to report and respond to fresh information from the field as surveillance continues across the Motu range.
The department’s immediate next steps are to maintain round-the-clock monitoring through its rapid response teams and frontline staff, continue village-level awareness efforts and follow the NTCA protocol while the tiger remains within Malkangiri’s Motu forest jurisdiction.
