Mishap in Pond: Baby Elephant Dies in Parvathipuram Village
Eyewitnesses said the remaining eight elephants roared loudly after the calf’s death. This sparked fear among the villagers. Forest officials subsequently advised locals to avoid venturing out of their homes alone.
Visakhapatnam: A male baby elephant died in a mishap in the Parvathipuram Manyam district, causing panic among the elephant herd there.
According to local residents, one of the elephants in a herd of nine that descended the hills accidentally stepped on the calf while playing in the Mudarai pond near Lakshminarayanapuram village on Sunday evening.
Forest conservator Mohammad Diwan Mydeen told Deccan Chronicle, “The calf’s neck was crushed fatally in the mishap, which occurred while the elephants were climbing up from the pond.”
Forest trackers alerted ranger K. Manikantesh. He rushed to the scene with his team and retrieved the calf’s body from the pond. A post-mortem was conducted on Monday.
Eyewitnesses said the remaining eight elephants roared loudly after the calf’s death. This sparked fear among the villagers. Forest officials subsequently advised locals to avoid venturing out of their homes alone.
Manikantesh noted, “On Sunday, when a baby elephant died, the herd was aggressive. However, on Monday, the herd's behaviour was normal.”
Currently, the eight elephants are roaming in the Parvathipuram division, while four more are in Palakonda. These herds have been causing damage to property and crops and even posing risks to human life.
Previously, there have been some reports of elephant fatalities. Four elephants died due to electrocution in Bhamini mandal, and one perished after falling into the muddy banks of the Nagavali river in Komarada mandal.
On Sunday evening, four elephants created panic in the cashew orchards near Ghazipuram in Bhamini mandal. Local tribal communities reported that the elephants had been roaming around Thivkonda and the nearby villages for over 10 days, damaging maize, paddy and banana crops. Forest beat officer Dali Naidu has issued alerts to farmers, advising them to steer clear of areas frequented by elephants.
The latest tragedy has intensified public demand for effective government action to ensure safety to them and their farms. They are urging the authorities to complete the Guchimi Elephant Habitat Centre, still under construction, to relocate the elephants.
