He reportedly tried to evict her from the field when he was pushed to the ground
In another incident where Bachelors’ Group elephants attacked people, a 75-year-old security guard was killed in a mango orchard when he was reportedly attempting to drive two elephants off the field in the village of Nettam in Puttur Mandal on Sunday.
This is the third incident and first casualty in the eastern mandalas in the past four months after a three-headed bachelor elephant group entered the Chittoor district from Vellore, Tamil Nadu, in the first week of January. The trio has since occasionally raided the crops in the plains of the Nagari, Puttur, Narayanavanam and Karveti Nagaram mandals, hiding behind hills and barren jungles.
Currently, one of the three elephants has separated from the group and is currently searching for Kailasanatha Kona at the base of the Nagari Hills. The other two elephants are on their way and cross the forest areas Karveti Nagaram and Puttur.
Divisional Forest Officer (Chittoor Wildlife East) GG Narentheran said The Hindu that the elderly man identified as Tupakula Chinnabba from Kalyanapuram in Puttur Township was on the night watch when he heard dogs barking. Following the sound, he reached the spot and found two elephants.
When Chinnabba reportedly tried to scare them away without setting off an alarm to alert others in the neighboring orchards, one of the elephants pushed him to the ground, resulting in his death.
Action plan
A few weeks ago forest officials started an operation with two kumkis (trained elephants) to drive the trio into the woods. An action plan has also been devised at a cost of £ 10 to address the problem. However, as the movement of wild elephants increased in the Palamaner and Kuppam Mountains, the kumkis were temporarily withdrawn from the drive in the flat areas of the eastern mandalas.
The forest officials also make frequent trips to prevent the elephants from entering human dwellings and fields and crossing the national road towards Chennai via Nagari and Nagalapuram.
Forest officials have urged farmers not to venture out alone at night and not to engage older people in night duties.