A man was trampled to death by a herd of elephants in Bandaravandalapalli village, Pileru Mandal, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. The victim, identified as Rajareddy, was asleep in a mango orchard on Monday night when the elephants, believed to have wandered from a nearby forest, entered the area and attacked him.
Despite efforts, the injuries were fatal and he died on Tuesday. His body has been sent for post-mortem examination
The herd, consisting of 11 elephants, remains in the orchard, raising fears among the local residents. Police and forest officials are working to ensure the safe relocation of the elephants to the forest.
"We are taking all necessary precautions to relocate the elephants without causing further harm to humans or property," said Chittoor District Forest Officer, S. Raghuram.
This incident is the latest in a series of human-wildlife conflicts in Chittoor district. In June, another person, Kanna Naik (50), was killed by an elephant in Ramakuppam Mandal while heading to a nearby village. Farmers in the region have long expressed concern over the increasing number of elephant raids on their crops, calling the situation a constant threat to both their livelihood and safety.
Despite multiple appeals to forest authorities, local farmers have voiced frustration over the lack of effective measures to prevent such tragic encounters. The repeated crop damage and loss of life have left the community on edge as they await long-term solutions to mitigate the elephant menace.
Meanwhile, a tribal woman lost her life and her husband was critically injured in a wild elephant attack near Parappanpara colony deep within the Meppadi forest range on the Malappuram-Wayanad border in Kerala in March this year. The deceased, 30-year-old Mini, was a resident of the colony and a member of the Kattunayakka tribe, which resides in the forest.
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