The temple city of Tirupati is gripped by fear after a herd of 11 elephants was spotted dangerously close to Srivarimettu, one of the two pedestrian routes to the Tirumala shrine. The sighting has raised alarm among pilgrims and locals alike, particularly following a recent incident where a stray leopard attacked a two-wheeler near the zoo park on the Cherlopalli–Alipiri road.
Fields damaged by a herd of elephants at Srinivasa Mangapuram near Tirupati on Monday night. | Photo Credit: K.V. POORNACHANDRA KUMAR
The presence of wild animals near both trekking routes — Srivarimettu and Alipiri — has heightened concerns of a possible man-animal conflict in the area. Srivarimettu caters to pilgrims arriving from the western side, while Alipiri is used by those coming from the eastern and southern regions.
The elephant herd was first noticed around 8:30 p.m. on Monday near a pumphouse in the vicinity of Srinivasa Mangapuram. Interestingly, their movement was a chance discovery — captured by drones originally deployed by forest officials to monitor red sanders smugglers in the Seshachalam forest.
Forest authorities quickly alerted senior officials, who launched an operation to drive the tuskers back into the deep forest. However, the herd trampled several mango and banana orchards before retreating into the woods by 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
