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MAHBUBNAGAR: The severe heat wave prevailing across AP and Telangana has forced wild animals to leave their habitats and search for cooler environs in various forests and sanctuaries in the two Telugu states. Forest officials have admitted that the wild fauna, particularly mammals, birds and reptiles, have shifted to places in the vicinity of water bodies unable to bear the scorching heat. Mercury has been hovering over 45 degrees Celsius even in the forest belts in AP and Telangana where several waterholes have dried up. Though forest teams have been replenishing waterholes through water tankers, besides creating artificial ponds, the intense heat has driven out the wild animals.

Of late, there have been several instances of animals straying out of forests into human habitations in search of water and food. The latest such incident occurred at Gaddegudem of Devarakadra mandal of Mahbubnagar district on Saturday when a leopard ventured into the village to quench its thirst. Villagers, who saw the big cat, told local mediapersons that the leopard had killed a buffalo calf and drank water from a nearby pond, before disappearing into the forest. The footprints of the wild animal showed that it went to the water body to quench its thirst.

In another instance, a deer, which strayed into a village, apparently for water, was run over by a train in Chittoor district while over a dozen peafowls succumbed to sunstroke in a forest area in Medak earlier this week. Earlier, wild animals ventured into villages around in Parigi and Mahbubnagar towns.

Wildlife experts fear that if the severe heat wave conditions continue for a few more days, there may be risk of forest fires and scarcity of fodder and water in the jungles.

Mahbubnagar divisional forest officer S Narendar Reddy told STOI that in the absence of check dams in the forest area abutting Mahbubnagar, wild animals are forced to trek to nearby villages for water. "Many animals migrate within the forest and to nearby villages if they do not find water and food in their territory. The intense summer heat has only made matters worse for these poor creatures," he said.

Senior forest conservationist Nageswara Rao said weather plays a key role in the movement of animals within the forest. "There is no proper provision for water supply to natural ponds in the forests. The water supplied by forest officials through tankers is hardly sufficient when the mercury soars beyond 40 degrees Celsius," he pointed out. Reptiles, which cannot control their body temperature, become agitated when the mercury rises abnormally. This explains the sudden spurt in snakebite cases in hamlets around forests.

People in Vataverlpally village of Munanoor mandal in Mahbubnagar district said they have been noticing a sudden increase in the movement of snakes from the Nallamala forests.

In Chittoor districts there have been several instances of elephants straying into villages in search of food and water. Fearing exodus of more animals out of their territory, forest officials have formed local committees to keep a tab on their movement. The panels have also been assigned the task of filling up waterholes through solar pumps where electricity is not available.

The spurt in monkey menace is also attributed to the drying up of water bodies and food sources in the jungles. Tackling monkeys in areas in the vicinity of forests has become a major challenge for forest and local authorities in Medak, Nizamabad, Warangal, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Kurnool, Prakasam, Chittoor and Mahbubnagar districts.