Tragic Incident: Herd of Wild Elephants Claims Three Lives in Andhra Pradesh
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Synopsis
In a devastating incident in Andhra Pradesh's Annamayya district, three devotees lost their lives after being trampled by wild elephants early Tuesday. The attack occurred as they were heading to a temple for Shivratri celebrations, highlighting the ongoing man-elephant conflicts in the region.
Key Takeaways
- Three devotees were tragically killed by wild elephants.
- Two others sustained critical injuries and were hospitalized.
- The incident occurred near Gondalakona during Shivratri celebrations.
- Man-elephant conflicts have become increasingly frequent in Andhra Pradesh.
- Government seeks assistance from Karnataka to manage the situation.
Tirupati, Feb 25 (NationPress) A herd of wild elephants tragically trampled three devotees to death in the Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh early Tuesday morning.
In this incident, which took place in the forested region near Gondalakona in Obulavaripalle mandal, two other individuals suffered critical injuries.
The wild elephants attacked a group of devotees who were en route to a local temple for Shivratri celebrations around 2 a.m.
All three victims, who were from Y. Kota, died at the scene, while the injured individuals were transported to a hospital where they are reported to be in critical condition.
This shocking event has caused widespread panic in the area. In response, forest department officials have been alerted and have initiated an operation to drive the elephants back into the forest.
In recent months, Andhra Pradesh has experienced a surge in man-elephant conflicts. The Rayalaseema districts, which border Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, are particularly affected by the movement of wild elephants.
The activity of wild elephants has increased in the Chittoor and Tirupati forest areas. Last month, two herds of wild elephants, totaling 35 jumbos, crossed into the Seshachalam forests from nearby states in search of food and water, leading to disturbances in local villages.
Earlier in January, a man was also trampled to death by elephants in Kandulavaripally in the Chittoor district.
Forest officials attribute these conflicts to diminishing resources and habitat loss, which have pushed elephants into human settlements, causing extensive damage to crops, property, and human lives.
Since 2011, 22 lives have been lost in elephant attacks in the undivided Chittoor district, with crop losses in the area estimated to affect 233 acres since 2015.
Additionally, the Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram Manyam districts, which border Odisha, have also seen numerous incidents of man-elephant conflicts recently.
Last year, the Andhra Pradesh government sought assistance from Karnataka to tackle the ongoing human-elephant conflict. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, responsible for forests, met with Karnataka’s Minister for Forest and Environment Eshwar Khandre to request aid from the Karnataka Forest Department in managing the situation.
The Karnataka government has agreed to provide eight trained Kumi elephants to help manage, drive, and capture the wild elephants.
