Interface Between Forests, Farmlands Remains Fragile in Erstwhile Chittoor District

TIRUPATI: Two elephants of a herd getting electrocuted after touching live wires set up at a farm in Chintagunta panchayat of Yerravaripalem mandal in Tirupati district on March 9 once again bring to focus the fragile interface between forests and farmlands in the erstwhile Chittoor district.

Forest officials said the two sub-adult Asian elephants, about 11–12 years’ old, had been part of a 16-elephant herd that had been moving through the forest stretches around Talakona South after entering the area from Devarakonda region.

The electrocution reflects the pattern in the fringe areas of the forests, which includes the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary and parts of the Seshachalam ranges. Forests through which elephants once moved freely are now scattered with agricultural fields, roads and settlements. As elephants move in search of food and water, they frequently enter fields along forest fringes, resulting in crop damage and, at times, fatal accidents involving both humans and animals.

Forest department sources say between 2009 and 2025, about 55 elephants have died in the erstwhile Chittoor district due to electrocution, accidents and other incidents linked to human activity, many of them in areas where forests and farmlands meet.

Records show that in 2011 a pregnant elephant died after falling into a well in the Devarakonda area of Chinnagottigallu mandal. In 2015, a male elephant died after chewing a country-made explosive placed in a field near Puligonupalle in Yerravaripalem mandal. Electrocution cases have been reported in areas over the years, often linked to illegal electric fencing around farms.

One of the most serious incidents occurred in 2019 when eight elephants had been killed while crossing a railway track along the Chittoor-Tamil Nadu border. Road accidents too have claimed elephant lives, including the death of three animals in a collision with a mini-lorry near Mogili Ghat in 2023.

A recent synchronised census conducted in the district’s forest areas estimates the resident elephant population at 90 to 110, with a similar number of migratory elephants moving through the region seasonally.

“Availability of fodder inside forests has reduced in some stretches due to grazing by livestock and other disturbances. When elephants do not find sufficient food inside forests, they move towards nearby crop fields where food is easily available”, a forest department official said.

Officials say illegal electric fencing, sagging power lines and electrical infrastructure passing through forest fringe areas remain among the biggest threats to elephants in the district. Farmers sometimes draw power from nearby lines to protect crops from wild boars and other animals. Elephants often come into contact with such wires, leading to fatalities.

Sources in the department say reducing the conflict requires coordinated action involving the forest, revenue and electricity departments, along with long-term measures to improve habitat conditions inside forests, protect elephant corridors, and create awareness among people living along the fringes of the forests.

Major elephant death incidents:

2011: One pregnant elephant died after falling into a well in the Devarakonda area.

2013: Four elephants died due to electrocution in separate incidents in Chittoor district.

2015: Three elephants died in different incidents, including one that chewed a country-made explosive and others due to electrocution.

2019: Twelve elephants died in multiple incidents, including eight killed while crossing a railway track along the Chittoor-Tamil Nadu border.

2021: Four elephants died in separate incidents, including one that hit a transformer near the Puttur-Karvetinagaram stretch.

2022: Six elephants died in different incidents, including collisions with electrical infrastructure.

2023: Four elephants died, including three that got killed after being hit by a mini-lorry near Mogili Ghat.

2025: Two elephants died after touching live electrical wires in a farm at Yerravaripalem mandal in Tirupati district.