Hyderabad: An Indian Gaur was spotted in the Atmakur division Nallamala forest after a gap of several decades, giving hope to wildlife enthusiasts.
The pug marks of the wild animal were spotted by forest officers in summer. After following for several weeks the officials physically spotted the Indian Gaur.
“The Indian Gaur is a mega herbivore animal. Its presence was recorded 4 to 5 decades ago in Nallamala forest. Due to different reasons, the species of animal moved away,” said a forest official.
Cameras have been setup to monitor the wild animal. “The frontline officers are monitoring the movement of the animal and studying its activities,” said the official.
“A proposal is pending with the government. After 2 to 3 months, we will ground the proposal. We will introduce 10 to 20 Indian Gaur after seeking advice from different wildlife institutions,” said the official.
The animal is seen more in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh. However, some reports indicate the animal was found in the Nallamala forest region 150 years ago.
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