TIRUPATI: In a case of escalating human-animal conflict, a wild tusker wreaked havoc at Ramapuram village in Gudipala mandal of Chittoor district, resulting in the death of a couple. The incident occurred in early hours of Wednesday near Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border, close to the Vellore highway.
The victims have been identified as Venkatesh (50) and Selvi (48), residents of the SC Colony in Ramapuram village. A herd of wild elephants first attacked the cattle in the village, before turning to the couple. A wild tusker trampled Venkatesh and Selvi to death, while other villagers fled for their lives.
According to forest officials, the killer tusker had been in musth, a period of elevated testosterone levels and heightened aggression.
Chief Conservator of Forests P. Nageswara Rao, who rushed to the scene upon learning about the incident, expressed deep concern over the incident. "We have deployed additional staff in the village along with local police to contain the situation as early as possible."
The incident has ignited anger among local villagers, who staged protests on the highway. They allege that forest department's delayed response has led to the tragic death of the couple.
Meanwhile, another elephant attacked Karthik, a youngster, near a mango grove in C.K. village. He has been seriously injured and shifted to CMC Hospital in Vellore for treatment.
The two incidents are examples of increasing human-animal conflict in Tirupati and Chittoor districts over the past few months. The forest department in Tirupati continues to grapple with the challenge of managing leopard encounters in the Seshachalam forests.
People living along the fringes of forest areas along Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border are raising their concerns with forest authorities increasingly.
