Elephant menace: A.P. and Karnataka Forest Departments to sign a MoU on Sept 27 

The Forest Departments of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Karnataka will be signing an MoU on September 27 for the deployment of Kumki (trained) elephants from Karnataka for controlling the elephants which have been going berserk in AP, killing people and destroying crops. 

According to a message on ‘ X ` from the office of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Panchayat Raj & Rural Development and Environment and Forests, K. Pawan Kalyan, the Karnataka Forest Department was asked to send eight Kumki elephants to rein in the elephants posing a menace mostly in Chittoor and Parvathipuram Manyam districts. 

The MoU paves the way for a formal institutional arrangement between AP and Karnataka Forest Departments for tackling the man-animal conflict by deploying expert teams to capture the elephants, train the mahouts and organise elephant camps.

It may be recalled that Mr. Kalyan had a meeting in that regard with Karnataka CM Siddharamaiah and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre at Bengaluru in the second week of August and sought help in curbing the elephant menace back home. 

Published - September 25, 2024 10:41 am IST