Experts from Srisailam to survey Tirumala walkways for 10 days to track leopard movements

TIRUPATI: In the wake of a six-year-old girl’s death in a suspected leopard attack on Alipiri walkway on August 11, 2023, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has roped in an expert team from Srisailam to conduct a comprehensive survey to track the leopard movements on the Tirumala hill shrine.

The TTD officials said that the expert team from Srisailam would conduct a comprehensive survey for the next 10 days and help the devotees to trek the Tirumala hill shrine under surveillance, apart from catching the leopards. As part of its efforts to prevent devotees from being attacked by wild animals while thronging the Tirumala hill shrine by foot, the TTD has started distributing wooden sticks for self defence to the devotees on Alipiri foot route on Wednesday.

“We have started distributing wooden sticks for self defense to the devotees on Alipiri foot route to Tirumala. The TTD has ordered wooden sticks to be distributed to the devotees thronging the Tirumala hill shrine by foot. It may take a couple of days to get enough stock,” said a TTD vigilance official. The TTD also put out banners and cautioned the devotees that children below 12 years of age would not be allowed to trek the Alipiri and Srivari Metu walkway between 2 pm and 5 am.

On the other hand, Swami Srinivasa Nanda Saraswati along with Hindu organisation members staged a demonstration before the TTD administrative building and demanded that the TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakara Reddy withdraw the restrictions imposed on the devotees trekking Tirumala. They raised slogans against the unilateral decisions of TTD and carried placards ‘Save Tirumala, Save TTD’.