The Forest Department is taking foolproof safety measures for the pedestrians trekking the Tirumala ghat roads, given the recent leopard attack on a boy, said the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Y. Madhusudhana Reddy.
The Department has set up camera traps to capture movements of wild animals on the ghat road, said the officials.
Speaking to the media here on Monday, Mr. Reddy said that the leopard was captured within 24 hours of the attack. Responding to the speculations that the mother of this leopard cub is also roaming free in the region, he said that no adult leopard was detected. However, she said camera traps were erected to catch any animals’ movements in the region.
He advised that the devotees should go in groups at night because the forest has grown denser than in the past, and there will be movement of wild animals on the footpath. Regarding the movement of elephants in Tirumala forests, the PCCF said that the issue would be tackled on a priority basis.
Mr Madhusudhana Reddy said that the sale of 372 tonnes of red sandalwood in February fetched an income of ₹272 crore, and the central government has also approved the second sale.
