A.P. resumes Operation Stripes as Explorer nears human habitations in Rajamahendravaram

The Andhra Pradesh State wildlife authorities have resumed ‘Operation Stripes’ to tranquilise three-year-old male tiger, Explorer, after it entered into human habitations, walking through the paddy fields near the Undrajavaram in East Godavari district.

By Friday, the tiger was sighted moving through paddy fields on the outskirts of Pasalapudi village, nearly 30 km from Rajamahendravaram city. 

East Godavari District Forest Officer B. Prabhakar Rao told The Hindu; “The tiger has walked more than 30 kilometres across the plains in a single day, crossing many human settlements. However, no cattle kills have been reported over the past few days.”

Operation

Mr. Prabhakar Rao said: “The Pune-based RESQ Trust experts, who tranquilised the same tiger at Kurmapuram village in East Godavari district on February 6, are expected to reach the spot on Saturday to tranquilise the tiger. Meanwhile, two teams of personnel are monitoring the tiger’s movements and alerting people in nearby villages.”

The first phase of Operation Stripes, led by then Chief Conservator of Forest B.N.N. Murthy, ended on February 14, after the tiger was reintroduced into the wild in Papikonda National Park. Since then, the tiger has been roaming along the banks of the Godavari and the hills in the Godavari region. Since December 2025, the tiger has travelled across four States: Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. 

However, the tiger has not attacked any humans since it left its native habitat–Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. It had entered the Godavari Valley after swimming across the river Pranahitha, a tributary of the Godavari River, before reaching Papikonda National Park.