Viral video of Royal Bengal Tiger near Andhra-Odisha border keeps villagers on toes

Panic gripped Gunupur area of Odisha’s Rayagada district after a video of a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) moving around in the area went viral.

According to sources, the big cat is seen taking a stroll in Vamini area of Srikakulam district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The area is very close to villages in Gunupur of Rayagada district.

While nobody in the area has actually seen any RBT, some people claimed to have seen the pug marks of a tiger.

However, as a precautionary measure, the Forest department has decided to install 15-20 CCTV cameras in the area to track the movement of the big cat, if any.

Speaking about the viral video, Odisha PCCF, Sushil Kumar Popli said, “This is in the Gunupur range under Srikakulam Division under Andhra Pradesh. However, taking precautionary measures, we have informed our counterparts in Andhra Pradesh.”

"They (AP) will be deploying a mobile squad and install CCTV cameras in the area. This is only a viral video. We are still not confirmed whether there is actually any Royal Bengal Tiger in that jungle,” Popli added.