A male tiger named Johnny has made a 300 km-long journey from Maharashtra’s Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary to Telangana, reportedly in search of a mate. The tiger’s journey, tracked by a radio collar, took him across forests and agricultural fields, passing through Adilabad and Nirmal districts.
Johnny, aged between six and eight years, began his trek in the third week of October from Kinwat taluka in Maharashtra's Nanded district. Forest officials first spotted him in the forests of Boath mandal in Adilabad before he travelled through various regions, including Kuntala, Sarangapur, Mamada, and Pembi mandals in Nirmal district. The tiger then crossed the Hyderabad-Nagpur NH-44 highway and is currently believed to be heading toward Tiryani area.
Prashanth Bajirao Patil, the Adilabad district forest officer, confirmed that Johnny’s journey is driven by the natural instinct of male tigers to seek out mates during winter, which is their mating season. “Male tigers often embark on long journeys when they cannot find a mate in their territory,” Patil explained.
Male tigers can detect the scent released by female tigers from up to 100 kilometres away, guiding them to potential mates. However, Johnny’s journey hasn’t been entirely about romance. He has reportedly killed five cattle and attempted to hunt cows on three separate occasions during his cross-state journey.
Forest officials assured that tigers searching for mates do not pose a direct threat to humans, though they cautioned local residents not to confront the animal or cause panic. Johnny’s current path could lead him to the Kawal Tiger Reserve, which has struggled with sustaining a resident tiger population. Though migrating tigers frequently visit the reserve, no tiger has permanently settled there since 2022.
Chief wildlife warden Elusing Meru stated that Johnny’s potential settlement in Kawal Tiger Reserve would be a significant development for the area. “If Johnny moves to KTR’s core area, it will be a turning point,” Meru said, acknowledging the challenges faced by the reserve, including poaching and habitat degradation.
