Tiger crossing National Highway 765 in Amrabad Tiger Reserve sparks safety concerns

A young male tiger was filmed crossing National Highway 765 inside the Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Nagarkurnool district on Friday, raising safety concerns among conservation experts about potential vehicle collisions. The big cat was recorded by a traveller as it crossed the busy road between the Gundam and Farhabad forest gates.

According to Nagarkurnool District Forest Officer Revanth Chandra, the tiger is a young male that has established its territory on both sides of the highway. The animal crosses the road every four to five days as part of patrolling its territory. Chandra noted that this tiger is also frequently seen during wildlife safaris and has become popular among tourists.

In response to the viral footage and safety concerns, the forest department has increased patrolling along the tiger crossing zone. Officials also plan to install warning signs along a five-kilometre stretch of the highway between the Gundam and Farhabad forest gates to alert drivers to be careful.

National Highway 765 connects Hyderabad and the rest of Telangana with Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. While the official speed limit through the tiger reserve is 30 kmph, vehicles often travel at 80 to 90 kmph. Sources stated that heavy vehicles, including TGSRTC buses, frequently drive over the 13 speed breakers on the route without slowing down.

Although the 55-kilometre highway stretch through the reserve is closed to traffic from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., some vehicles crossing the checkpoints continue to travel through the forest until 11:00 p.m. to exit the area.

Roadkills remain a major challenge in the area. Data from the reserve reveals that 701 wildlife deaths occurred on this highway stretch between 2018 and 2023, with 318 of those incidents happening during the monsoon months.