Watch: Elephant that killed two farmers back on Telangana-Maharashtra border; locals panic in Asifabad

Sources said the male elephant along with another elephant was roaming in the forests of Chandrapur district of Maharashtra for a few months

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: A lone elephant called ME3, which trampled two farmers to death in the district in 2024, along with another tusker is once again moving on the borders of Maharashtra and Telangana for the last few days. This has triggered panic among locals.

Sources said the male elephant along with another elephant was roaming in the forests of Chandrapur district of Maharashtra for a few months.

“ME3 with the other tusker is currently about 40 km away from the border of Telangana. They might enter the State by crossing borders of the two States in search of territory and food,” an activist working with tackling elephant-man conflict in Maharashtra told ‘Telangana Today.’

The sources further said the two elephants were presently roaming in Sindewahi taluq in Chandrapur. They moved on the roads of Gadchiroli district centre recently and entered Chandrapur on Wednesday. ME3 also trampled a youngster to death at Vyad village in Maharashtra a few days ago.

The two elephants were separated from a herd of around 30 elephants that crushed maize, paddy and other crops at Suryadongari, Akapur, Injawari, Kitadi, Churmura and surrounding villages in Armori Taluka of northern Gadchiroli district for a week in a row in April.

ME3 had deviated from the herd and drifted towards Maharashtra from the eastern parts of Chhattisgarh, allegedly following widespread mining activity in 2023.

Forest officials said people in Kagaznagar division were told to be cautious of the elephants. Awareness was created among the people and announcements were being made in the villages, where the elephant was likely to reach.

Officials are coordinating with their counterparts of Maharashtra about the movement of the elephants in Gadchiroli district.

The elephant had trampled to death two farmers, Alluri Shankar (50) from Burepalli village in Chintalamanepalli mandal and Karu Posham (65) of Kondapalli village in Penchikalpet mandal on April 3 and 4.