CHITTOOR :It is a known fact that elephants and other wild animals stray into villages bordering forests in search of food and water, especially during summers. But lately, these animals are being forcibly evicted from their natural habitats by desperate redsander smugglers in a bid to divert the attention of the forest officials and they are wandering into nearby villages, according to Chittoor West Divisional Forest officer T Chakrapani.
Speaking to Express here Saturday, Chakrapani said that initially the elephants had wandered off into the villages in Chittoor district from neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in search of food and water. But with the new ‘attention-diversion tactic’ resorted to by the red sanders smugglers, even the elephants from Seshachalam and other forest areas in the district had started ‘invading’ the villages, he said.
Citing an example, the DFO said that the smugglers had recently evicted a herd of 18 elephants from their habitat in Sundupalle forest area bordering the neighbouring Kadapa district and the displaced pachyderms wandered into some villages in the Chinnagottigallu, Yerravaripalem mandals and played havoc with the lives and livelihood of the people there. However, the forest officials later managed to drive back the herd into the Sundupalle forest area, he said.
The villages affected most by the marauding elephants were located in Tamballapalle, Madanapalle, Piler, Punganur, Palamaner of Madanapalle revenue divisions and also in the Kuppam Assembly constituency of AP CM Chandrababu naidu, he said.
Apart from the elephants, wild animals like leopards and hyenas were also straying into villages - in some cases after being evicted from the forests by the red sanders smugglers, Chakrapani pointed out. Similarly, deer and peacocks were also straying into villages in search of food and water and were often getting run over by speeding vehicles, the DFO said.
Devastating Loss
Chittoor district facing wild elephant menace since 1992
Hitherto, the marauding pachyderms were coming from the forests in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Lately, those from Seshachalam and other forest areas of Chittoor and Kapapa districts are also invading the villages after being evicted from their habitats by red sander smugglers to divert the attention of forest officials and keep them off their trail
Over the last 22 years, the elephants have killed 23 persons besides damaging crops and houses of the villagers
They have damaged crops in over 1,300 acres since 2011
Lately, even wild animals like leopard and hyenas have started straying into villages in search of food and water. They have killed hundreds of cattle and pet animals of the villagers