Elephant Camp Coming up to Tide over Menace

Parvathipuram: Parvathipuram Manyam district will soon be free from the elephant menace with a temporary camp coming up in Guchimi forest in Seethanagaram mandal of the district. Being built in 400 acres, close to Suvarnamukhi River, the camp is likely to be completed in another four months, said district forest officer G. A. Prasuna.

Talking to Deccan Chronicle on Monday, the DFO said the shelter would have kraals, water tanks, swimming pools and quarters for mahouts. A trench has been dug around the camp with solar fencing to prevent the elephants from escaping the camp.

"With the help of Kumki elephants, these wild animals would be brought to the shelter by the mahouts,’’ Prasuna said.

She said Rs 75 lakh have already been spent and the department was waiting for fresh budgetary allocations. The shelter would cost approximately Rs 2 crore.

The district has 12 elephants, including two juveniles. One of them is male, the DFO said. Till date, the elephants have killed 12 persons and damaged property and crops worth more than Rs 6 crore in Manyam district in the past one decade. The officials often face severe criticism for failing to bring them to a shelter. The wild beasts were seen in villages, on roads damaging buses and auto-rickshaws as well as terrorizing the villagers.

Sources said the villagers never heeded to the advice of the forest officials, to keep themselves safe from the elephants.

The DFO said despite repeated warnings about the risks associated with approaching these wild animals, some villagers come closer to elephants, viewing them as manifestations of Lord Ganesha. This often results in complicating the efforts of the forest department to ensure safety to public.

Currently, a herd of eight elephants are camping near Thotapalli reservoir in Garugubilli mandal and another herd comprising four elephants were seen moving in Musiguda forest in Bhamini mandal.