Wild elephants cause panic in Agency area

Dwellers worried over presence of pachyderms

Srikakulam: Four wild elephants have been roaming around the agency for the last 15 days as temperatures rose in the wake of summer. The tuskers are unable to stay in hot and unfavourable environs and are on the prowl around the agency seeking cool location to beat the beat. Consequently, the residents are worried and are spending sleepless nights. Recently, tuskers created a flutter at K.Gummada by destroying hut in a cashew orchard in Sitampeta mandal and stayed in a teak plantation area.

Panicked locals chased the elephants by bursting crackers. The irked tuskers are moving around Mukundaguda, Tumbalaguda areas in the mandal. On Thursday, tuskers reached forest department’s teak plantation area situated between Mohana Colony and Billumada. On noticing the wild animals, locals started pestering forest officials and staff to drive away elephants. However, the forest officials trying hard to convince locals by explaining the elephants’ nature in summer.

Normally elephants are unable to bear summer season as they need large quantity of water and require cool places for survival. In such conditions, tuskers lose their balance and move around the forest, said Palakonda forest ranger, K Somasekhar. ‘’We are tracking the elephants’ movement to alert people in advance and people need to understand animals’ behaviour to mitigate damage said Kotturu forest section officer N Tirupathi Rao.

By:chowdari lakshmana Rao