Hyderabad, August 03: THE Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has decided to shift the deer in the deer park on the Tirumala hills immediately in order to protect pilgrims from deerhunting leopards.
A decision to this effect was taken today by the TTD and the forest department. TTD chairman DK Audikesavulu met forest and environment minister P Ramachandra Reddy here today and discussed the leopard attacks which took place twice within a week on the pathway from Alipiri to Tirumala.
TTD officials thought that felines were straying from the forest while hunting for prey and often crossed the footpath. To prevent this, shifting of 270 deer in the park was desirable, TTD officials informed the forest department. Accordingly it was decided to shift them to Chittoor, Idupulapaya and the Zoo in Hyderabad. It was also decided not to allow the pilgrims on the walkway from 4 pm to 6 am.
Speaking to the reporters, Audikesavulu said that the next round of Kalyanamastu, a mass marriage programme, would be held in Hyderabad on August 14. The Lakshagalarchana entered the Guinness Book of World Records and the certificate was handed over to him by information and public relations minister J Geetha Reddy.
–Agencies