The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) expert team has decided to tranquilise a roaming male tiger after it killed cattle in a palm oil field near Rajamahendravaram on Thursday morning. The tiger had earlier preyed on a calf on February 1 at Torredu village by the Godavari river. By Thursday night, the tiger moved toward Mandapeta, near Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema and Kakinada districts. East Godavari District Forest Officer B. Prabhakara Rao told The Hindu, “The Pune-based expert team from RESQ Trust has joined the NTCA-designated experts to monitor the movements of the tiger across the landscape through thermal drones at night. We have no alternative but to tranquilise it.” The tiger is believed to be from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra and is approaching human areas. Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (HyTICOS), known for tiger rescues in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, is also involved. “Our team will join the tranquilising exercise on Friday,” said HyTICOS Tiger Conservationist Imran Siddiqui. Forest officials across neighboring districts, including Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema, Kakinada, Eluru, and Polavaram, remain alert as the tiger’s direction is uncertain. Given the recent cattle kill area, the tiger is expected to retrace its path through the forest cover. Meanwhile, East Godavari Collector Keerthi Chekuri and Superintendent of Police D. Narasimha Kishore have deployed local authorities and police to warn residents and advise them to avoid agricultural fields temporarily.