Fear spread quickly in villages near the Reserve Forest after reports of a tiger sighting. Forest officials quickly clarified that the tiger is not a threat as long as it stays in the forest. Wildlife experts warn that tranquilising a tiger is risky. "Survival of the tiger after tranquilising it are 50:50," they said. The tiger can become aggressive or depressed, and some have died in captivity. "Actions such as use of tranquilisers to catch the tiger cannot be taken simply because of public pressure or perception," experts added. Project Tiger Field Director B. Vijay Kumar said, "Tigers are natural inhabitants of forest ecosystems and their movement should not be treated as an emergency situation." He explained that under Sections 11 and 12 of the Wildlife Protection Act, tranquilisation, capture or relocation can only happen if there is a real threat to human life or property. "If the animal strays into a village or populated area and poses a real danger to people, the law empowers us to act, but only after obtaining the necessary permissions from competent authorities," Mr. Kumar said. He cautioned that recovery is uncertain: "See, wild animals cannot be tranquillised. Tranquiliser is nothing but anesthesia, which will be given based on the body weight, and also based on the animal’s health condition. Tigers’ weight, we cannot assess. By trial and error, we make the dose. So, the recovery chances are fifty-fifty." He added that tranquilised tigers should be released only into reserve forests or moved to zoos. "We don't know the territory of the caged tiger. If it is released in territory of another tiger, it leads to tiger-tiger conflict," he said. Experts suggest burning chillies mixed with husk where the tiger was seen to drive it back to the forest. Forest officials stressed that conservation and human safety must work together. All actions will be guided by law and experts. A sub-adult male tiger crossed from Telangana into Eluru district on January 21, 2026. Published - January 28, 2026 01:02 pm IST