Amravati: A tigress, not a tiger, had killed a farmer recently in Bhambora agricultural area of Morshi tehsil and movement of the same big cat is causing panic in neighbouring Teosa tehsil, prompting the Forest Department to issue an alert for both areas.On Sunday, the tigress killed a cow in Kawthal area near the Morshi-Teosa border, causing anxiety among villagers living close to forest patches.An alert has been sounded in Kawthal, Rajurwadi and surrounding villages in Teosa. Residents of Karajgaon, Dapori, Sarsi, Varuda, Javra, Fatehpur and Satargaon, particularly farmers venturing into fields near forest areas, have been advised to remain cautious and carry a stick, torch and other safety gear.Forest teams have intensified patrolling in the Kawthal area and stepped up efforts to capture the animal. “The pugmarks found in Kawthal have confirmed it is a tigress. The paw marks are elongated. We have installed a cage and trap cameras and intensified patrolling,” said SW Ghoramade, forest ranger, Teosa Circle.Movement of the tigress has sparked a flurry of rumours on social media. On Saturday night, reports of a sighting at Juni Bharwadi sent a forest team rushing to the spot. On Sunday morning, a message claiming a tigress with three cubs in Varkhed, circulated by an official on a WhatsApp group as a precaution, was widely forwarded.Forest Department has appealed to citizens not to circulate unverified messages, stating that rumours divert teams engaged in tracking the tigress.
