Amaravati, March 17, 2026: A radio-collared transient male tiger nicknamed 'Explorer' wandered more than 25 kilometers from Pampa reservoir toward Yeleru reservoir in Kakinada district through dense forest.
By Tuesday night, the big cat entered Bouruvaka Reserve Forest far from villages and reversed course, heading back toward Papikonda National Park.
Forest teams from the Andhra Pradesh department, including 11 HANUMAN units, tracked its path in real time and alerted nearby communities.
Experts stood ready to tranquillise if the tiger neared settlements, but its natural retreat made intervention unnecessary. Retired senior official P. Mallikarjuna Rao praised local cooperation for keeping both people and wildlife secure.
