Pawan Kalyan flags off two Kumki elephants to tackle human-elephant conflict in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan flagged off two trained Kumki elephants, Jayant and Abhimanyu, to Parvathipuram-Manyam district to help manage rising human-elephant conflict, protect farmers' crops and strengthen wildlife conservation efforts along the Odisha border.

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Pawan Kalyan, said on Friday that two Kumki elephants would be useful in controlling human-elephant conflict in Parvathipuram-Manyam district.

He welcomed two trained Kumki elephants Jayant and Abhimanyu at his official residence Mangalagiri during their journey from Palamaner in Chittoor district to Parvathipuram.

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Pawan Kalyan, who is also the forest and environment minister, welcomed kumki elephants by showering flowers and offering them food. He flagged off their journey to Gutchimi camp as part of efforts to strengthen measures to prevent human-elephant conflicts in Parvathipuram-Manyam district along Odisha border.

The forest department is relocating the trained Kumki elephants from elephant training centre at Musalamadugu near Palamaner to the Gutchimi camp in Parvathipuram-Manyam district.

Pawan Kalyan issued directions to forest department officials on the measures to be taken to ensure the safety of the kumkis during the journey. He stated that, upon reaching the Gutchimi camp, necessary steps should be taken under expert supervision to acclimatise them to the local environmental conditions.

He said that relocating the kumkis is part of the actions being taken by the coalition government to achieve the goals of public safety, protection of farmers’ crops, and wildlife conservation through scientific and humane policies.

Wild elephant herds frequently entering Parvatipuram Manyam district from areas near the Odisha border and causing damage to crops and property.

According to officials, Jayant and Abhimanyu earlier played a key role in several critical operations conducted in the Palamaneru and Chittoor regions. They were highly effective in safely guiding wild elephant herds back into forest areas.

They are specially trained captive elephants used in wildlife management operations to guide, herd and, when necessary, assist in rescue and conflict mitigation exercises.

Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram-Manyam districts are witnessing increasing movement of wild elephant herds migrating from Odisha. At present, one herd comprising eight elephants is roaming near Karada village in Bobbili mandal of Vizianagaram district, while another herd of four elephants has been sighted near Ghanasara village in Bhamini mandal of Parvathipuram-Manyam district.

Tribal communities in the Parvathipuram and Seethampeta agency areas are worried over the incursions by wild elephants, posing threat to human life. They are also damaging crops such as paddy, banana, cocoa, oil palm, sugarcane and vegetables.

At least 13 people, including two elephant trackers, have lost their lives in elephant attacks in the region since 2017. They have also damaged crops spread over nearly 3,600 acres.

In May last year, Andhra Pradesh brought four Kumki elephants from Karnataka to contain wild jumbos straying into human habitations.

Pawan Kalyan had inaugurated the Kumki elephant training centre in Chittoor district in November.