Rumours about tiger's presence go viral; panic grips Shamshabad

Shamshabad: People in and around Shamshabad on the fringes of Hyderabad were panic-stricken after rumours of locals of Indiramma Colony spotting a wandering tiger in an empty area adjacent to the colony on Friday Night went viral on social media. The news stated that on spotting the tiger, residents of the colony panicked and ran to save themselves. The report quoted people who claimed to have spotted the tiger as saying that the tiger was a majestic one with a height of 3 feet. They were also quoted as saying that they were panicked and were not stepping out of our house.

However, the State Forest department was quick enough issue a statement on Saturday, asserting that reports of movement of tiger at Shamshabad were not true.

"Reports of a tiger on the prowl in Indiramma Colony, Shamshabad, were making rounds in several social media platforms. Based on those reports, the Forest Department officials visited the colony and interacted with the local residents. According to our field levels teams, it is quite difficult for a tiger or any wild animal to venture into a thickly populated area like Shamshabad,"an official release said. It may be recalled that earlier this year, people in Shamshabad spotted a leopard which had caused panic among the public by making an appearance on Kattedan road before escaping into a farm on the way to Shamshabad, which was later caught and rescued by the Forest officials and the police.