Two wild elephants create flutter on NH 4

Two wild elephants from the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary created a flutter near the Chittoor-Bengaluru NH 4 on Saturday, causing trouble to the road users.

The pachyderms had left the sanctuary belt and were moving towards the fields at Jagamarla and Gandhi Nagar villages nearby when, prevented by a stretch of solar fencing adjoining the NH, they took to wild trumpeting, and repeatedly strayed into the NH zone.

A couple of hours later, one of the elephants glided over the fencing to the village side, while the other started running alongside the NH sending jitters among the motorists. Soon, forest officials from Palamaner and elephant trackers rushed to the spot and drove the stranded elephant back into the sanctuary.

Forest Range Officer (Palamaner) Srinivasulu said that the two gigantic elephants, both male, had been moving in the NH zone for the last several months. “We have named them Ramudu and Bheemudu. They are used to crossing the NH and then returning to the sanctuary. The recent crops at nearby villages are a big lure to them,” he said.

In recent weeks, the forest department had launched the solar fencing works to prevent pachyderms entering the villages in the north. “The fencing is partially complete. Once it is fully complete, the problems of elephants crossing the NH at this vulnerable belt near Moghili ghat and Jagamarla village would be controlled,” he said.