Drones deployed to monitor elusive leopards in A.P.’s Chittoor district
Forest officials in Chittoor have deployed drones to monitor leopard activity following sightings in the area. Authorities have advised residents to take safety precautions but noted that the leopards are currently exhibiting normal behavior.
Why it matters
It addresses the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in rural areas and the use of technology in wildlife management.
Amid reports of continuing sightings of two leopards, the Forest Department has deployed two special teams equipped with drone cameras to track the elusive wild cats in Chittoor rural mandal and surrounding areas.
Speaking to The Hindu on Friday (September 11, 2026), District Forest Officer G. Subburaj said the department has spotted pugmarks of the leopards during combing operations. “Several mandals in Chittoor district have a good prey base, which has led to a healthy population of leopards. The two leopards currently on the prowl are part of a four-member group, of which two died recently—one fell into a well and another died in a territorial fight,” the DFO said.
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