Explorer, the elusive tiger that has been tranquillized and released into the Papikonda National Park a few months ago, is back and was seen in the woods along the banks of the Godavari river in Gopalapuram mandal of East Godavari district.

Over the past three weeks, the tiger had explored the Papikonda Hill Range, and the landscapes bordering Telangana on the western side of the Godavari before it swam the river on its way back to Papikonda National Park (PNP).

“Over the past 48 hours, the tiger has been roaming in the coconut and oil palm farms in the Gopalapuram mandal. It is being tracked by three teams assisted by a 30-member group of the forest department,” Forest Officer B. Prabhakar Rao told The Hindu.

“The tiger did not resort to any cattle kill within the past one week. At present, it is moving far away from the human habitations,” claimed Mr. Prabhakara Rao.

The tiger was tranquilized at Kurmapuram village in East Godavari district on February 6 and released in the PNP on February 14. In December 2025, the tiger had left its native landscape of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve.

Published - July 28, 2026 06:52 pm IST