A young tiger, tranquilised on February 6 in Kurmapuram village, East Godavari district, is at the center of a conservation debate. The tiger was moved to the Animal Rescue Centre in Visakhapatnam on February 7. Over 53 days, it wandered nearly 650 km through a functional tiger corridor across Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh, without attacking humans, only preying on cattle. Experts say the tiger was likely searching for its own territory, a natural behaviour for adult tigers. Environmentalists and tiger experts call on the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to release the tiger back into the wild instead of keeping it caged or in a zoo. Former Secretary E.A.S. Sarma said, "Being a young tiger, it should not be confined to a zoo under any circumstances." Wildlife experts emphasize the tiger shows shy behaviour towards humans and warn that captivity risks changing its natural instincts and exposing it to diseases. They suggest fitting the tiger with a radio collar to monitor its movements and ensure its safety after release. Andhra Pradesh lags behind Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in using radio collaring for tigers. A key meeting with veterinarians, conservationists from the Wildlife Institute of India, NTCA and tiger reserve experts is scheduled online on February 9 to decide the tiger's future. Many hope the tiger will be released into Papikonda National Park to live freely and safely.