Residents of Tekulapalli mandal in Kothagudem district adjoining the forest area are in the grip of panic after a tiger on prowl, which has been sighted by many, attacked a calf on Monday. The incident took place in the early hours in Gundlamadugu village, which falls under the Kothagudem forest division. 

The injured calf belonged to a person identified as Bhukya Kanya, a farmer. Kanya used to live in a hut near their fields to protect his produce from being destroyed by wild boars. 

On the day of the incident, an alert Kanya and his wife heard the distressed mooing of the cattle tied near their hut, and were shocked to see a tiger grab their cow’s neck.

“We were shocked to notice the tiger that had the neck of the calf in its jaws. We focused our torchlights on the tiger’s eyes and threw granite stones and thick wooden sticks at it, which led to the tiger running away, leaving the calf,” Kanya was quoted as saying to Deccan Chronicle. 

The calf, which was seriously injured in the incident, was shifted to a veterinary hospital for treatment. However, its condition is reportedly critical and it is unable to graze due to the attack on its neck.

After being chased away, some people claimed that the tiger was spotted crossing the main road in a nearby village, reported Telangana Today. Following the attack, forest officials visited the village and inspected the pug marks. 

After examining the pug marks, Assistant Conservator of Forests, A Appaiah told The New Indian Express that the tiger could be male. Forest officials have deployed animal trackers and set up camera traps to monitor the animal’s movements. Officials warned the villagers against venturing out during the night and staying in the fields. It must be recalled that two persons have been killed by tigers in the past two months in Telangana.