A male tiger, believed to be from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, was tranquilised in a cattle shed in Kurmapuram village, East Godavari district, on Friday evening. This happened 53 days after the tiger left its native forest in search of food. The tiger covered more than 650 km, crossing forests in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. It also swam across two big rivers, including the Godavari, before entering Papikonda National Park. The tiger was tranquilised around 6:50 p.m. while resting in a cattle shed after hunting a buffalo. Earlier that day, the tiger escaped a first attempt to tranquilise it near an abandoned house, when locals raised an alarm. Rajahmundry Chief Conservator of Forests B.N.N. Murthy confirmed the operation ended the tiger’s six-day movement in East Godavari. He said, "The animal’s health condition was stable and that it had not attacked any human being during its entire journey, surviving mainly by preying on cattle." According to East Godavari District Forest Officer B. Prabhakara Rao, two male tigers left Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in December 2025. One was first seen in Khammam, Telangana, before moving to Eluru in Andhra Pradesh. On January 29, it entered Papikonda National Park and then swam across the Godavari river near Polavaram in early February. The tiger reportedly killed three cattle on February 1 at Torredu village. Experts from the Pune-based RESQ Trust helped track the tiger using advanced technology and supported the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s expert team. Mr. Murthy said the tiger will need veterinary care for a few days due to its long journey. Authorities will decide whether to move it to the Animal Rescue Centre in Visakhapatnam or Tirupati Zoo. The rescue succeeded due to nonstop monitoring by forest officials and police managing crowds and ensuring the team’s smooth operation.