Elephants continue to damage crop and properties in tri-State junction area
The foresters in Chittoor district were elated when the Asiatic elephants reappeared in the Kuppam region in the early 1980s, after a hiatus of a century. By 1990, the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary spreading over about 1 lakh acres of foersts in Palamaner, Kuppam and Chittoor west ranges, flanked by Tamil Nadu and Karnatakawas was ready for the pachyderms.
Man-animal conflict
The number of elephants which stood in single digit four decades ago has now increased to more than a hundred, including those in the Koundinya sanctuary. Now, the elephant menace has become a concern for the foresters and the farmers as the animals frequently venture into agriculture lands and damage crops, leading to man-animal conflict. Nine elephants died of electrocution in 2019-20 financial year and half a dozen of people died during the same period. Many villagers were injured in jumbo attacks.