12-member herd of wild elephants driven back into the Koundinya sanctuary

Given the challenging forest terrain, the officials decided to deploy drone cameras for the first time, enabling the successful sighting of the elephants as they moved towards Pakala mandal

The forest officials in Chittoor district utilised drone cameras to track the movement of a 12-member herd of wild elephants in the forests bordering the east and west divisions at Devalampeta and Palem villages of Pulicharla mandal. They aim to guide the herd back towards the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary safely.

The herd, which comprised eight adults and four sub-adults, had strayed into the Pulicharla mandal near the Seshachalam hill ranges in Tirupati district a few days ago. During their time in the area, the elephants caused significant damage to crops before the intervention of the forest officials. Given the challenging forest terrain, the officials decided to deploy drone cameras for the first time, enabling the successful sighting of the elephants as they moved towards Pakala mandal.

Subsequently, the forest officials mobilised forest watchers and elephant trackers to guide the herd back towards the western parts, ultimately redirecting them towards the Koundinya reserved forests in Palamaner. This proactive approach helped minimize potential human-elephant conflict and ensured the elephants’ safe return to their natural habitat.

Published - October 05, 2024 04:59 pm IST