Wild elephant electrocuted in Chittoor district; Pawan Kalyan orders inquiry

A male elephant died after being electrocuted in a mango orchard near Papireddigaripalle, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. This marks the 24th death of wild elephants in the region since 2014. A woman farmer discovered the corpse on Tuesday and alerted forest officials. The elephant appears to have touched live electrical wires connected to a water pump at a farm well.

The District Forest Officer and Forest Range Officers investigated the scene, noting the elephant was part of a herd of 13 that had been moving through the forest for the past week. The herd trampled groundnut fields before entering the orchard, where the elephant became entangled in the cables. Pawan Kalyan, Deputy Chief Minister and Forest and Environment Minister, expressed sorrow and ordered a thorough inquiry and report.

Officials informed him the elephant likely came into contact with a low-hanging power line connected to a borewell motor while it was being powered. Kalyan directed officials to bury the elephant post-mortem and implement preventive measures to protect elephants from such incidents. He emphasized the need for power lines to be maintained at safe heights and coordination between the Forest and Electricity Departments to mitigate risks and safeguard wildlife.