Beed: A tiger that had been prowling Patoda tehsil over the past fortnight has now entered the Ashti forest range, putting forest officials and local villagers on high alert.
The big cat's movement into the range was confirmed after it was captured on a camera trap installed near Bhurewadi, adjoining the Sautada gram panchayat area along the Ashti forest boundary, on November 2.
Following the confirmation, the Forest Department issued an advisory urging local farmers and residents to exercise extreme caution.
Born in 2022 to tigress T-22 at the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal, the young male tiger strayed from its native habitat in search of new territory and prey. Over the past few months, it has made intermittent appearances across Beed district.
After disappearing from Ashti tehsil on August 20, the striped predator was sighted in the Kari region of Barshi tehsil in Solapur district. It returned to Patoda around mid-October and hunted two cattle in Sagalewadi and Jarewadi in Patoda tehsil on October 17. It was subsequently photographed drinking at a waterhole inside the Naigaon Mayur (Peacock) Sanctuary. Nearly 70 days after its initial departure from the area, camera traps have now recorded the animal moving through its familiar territory.
While big cats typically traverse this landscape only three to four times a year, this particular tiger has been recorded twice within just over two months. Given its active presence in the area, Ashti Range Forest Officer Amol Munde has advised farmers and villagers against venturing into areas along the forest periphery and urged them to take necessary safety precautions.
