VISAKHAPATNAM: A group of eight elephants was sighted roaming in Peddhavalasa village limits of Komarada mandal. The elephant monitoring unit (EMU) forest range officer spotted them, confirmed district forest officer G.A.P. Prasuna. She said the field staff were instructed to monitor the movement of elephants and to deal with villagers sensitively. Forest department officials requested villagers not to obstruct the staff performing their duty, she said.
The main duty of the department was to avoid the death of both humans and the animal and the staff was not assigned the duty to drive the elephants, she added.
The department had been requesting the locals not to drive away elephants using aggressive means. Elephants are unpredictable, and any antagonistic behaviour from humans can lead to unfortunate and dangerous consequences, she warned. She said it came to their notice that villagers were creating problems and throwing bombs to drive away the elephants.
The DFO emphasised that provoking or angering the elephants can make them difficult to control and may result in disastrous situations. She urged the public to show respect and understanding towards these magnificent creatures and not engage in teasing or instigating them. She also asked the public to monitor the jumbos and update the status of their location.
DFO said that since 2018, there have been 10 human deaths in Parvathipuram Manyam district. The main reason for it was either the people confronting elephants directly or going near them under the influence of alcohol, especially during the festival times. Till now the forest department paid crop compensations of ₹2.16 crore and there were pending payments of ₹28 lakh, she said.
