New Delhi: Four female tiger cubs were rescued from farmland by villagers near the Atmakur forest in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. The cubs, aged about one month, were rescued near Pedda Gummadapuram village in Kothapalli mandal of Nandyal district’s Atmakur Forest Division.
#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh | Four tiger cubs were found by residents of Pedda Gummadapuram village in the Nandyal district. The villagers shifted them to a safe place and informed the forest officials. (06.03) pic.twitter.com/0brXaiPly7
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Local villagers found the four cubs abandoned on the outskirts of Pedda Gummadapuram village around 6:30 am and informed the forest officials. The villagers also kept an eye out for the mother tigress and later shifted the cubs to a storeroom in a farm.
After receiving the information, forest officials led by Atmakur Division Forest Officer (DFO) Alenchan Teran reached the location and began a search operation for the tigress.
The officials tried to send the cubs back into the forest for at least five-six hours. But after failed efforts, they were shifted to a nearby forest wildlife veterinary hospital around 3 pm, The New Indian Express reported. The forest officials are still on the hunt for the mother tigress.
They have also set up surveillance cameras around the forest area to keep track of the tigress’ movement.
If the mother is not found, the forest department will consider shifting the cubs to the SV Zoological Park in Tirupati as an alternative measure.
Also read: Maha: Tigress found dead in buffer zone of TATR