Wild elephant electrocuted in Chittoor district; Pawan Kalyan orders inquiry

The carcass of the male wild elephant electrocuted at a mango orchard near Pulicharla in Chittoor district. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A wild male elephant was electrocuted in a mango orchard abutting forest land near Papireddigaripalle, close to the Mangalampeta forest beat in Pulicharla mandal of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, on Monday night (August 31, 2026). Its death takes the toll of wild elephants killed in the region since 2014 to close to 25.A woman farmer noticed the carcass in the orchard on Tuesday and informed the forest officials. The elephant appeared to have come into contact with live electrical wires connected to a water pump at a ground-level farm well.District Forest Officer (Chittoor) G. Subburaj and Forest Range Officers from Chittoor and Piler reached the spot and conducted a preliminary assessment.The DFO said the elephant was part of a herd of 13 which had been moving through the forest stretches along the Pulicharla and Pakala mandals, at the intersection of Chittoor, Tirupati and Annamayya districts, for the past week. The herd reportedly trampled groundnut fields in the region before retreating into the forests. In this process, the male elephant strayed from the herd and entered the mango orchard, where it got entangled in the electrical cables at the farm well.The forest officials conducted an inquest, and a case has been registered.Keep power lines at safe heights: PawanDeputy Chief Minister and Forest and Environment Minister K. Pawan Kalyan expressed grief over the death and asked officials to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report, at a review on Tuesday night.Officials told him that preliminary findings suggested the elephant had come into contact with a low-hanging power line connected to a borewell motor while electricity was being supplied.విద్యుత్ షాక్‌తో ఏనుగు మృతి ఘటనపై శ్రీ పవన్ కళ్యాణ్ గారు విచారంచిత్తూరు జిల్లా మంగళంపేట అటవీ ప్రాంత పరిధిలోని పాపిరెడ్డిగారిపల్లె వద్ద ఓ మామిడి తోటలో ప్రమాదవశాత్తు విద్యుత్ షాక్‌కు గురై మగ ఏనుగు మృతి చెందిన ఘటన పట్ల రాష్ట్ర ఉప ముఖ్యమంత్రి, అటవీ, పర్యావరణ శాఖల మంత్రి శ్రీ…— Deputy CMO, Andhra Pradesh (@APDeputyCMO) September 1, 2026Mr. Pawan Kalyan directed officials to ensure that the elephant was buried only after a post-mortem examination in accordance with wildlife regulations and the prescribed protocol.He asked officials to take preventive measures to protect elephants from such incidents. Power lines passing through areas frequented by wildlife should be maintained at adequate heights, he said, and called for close coordination between the Forest and Electricity Departments to identify risks and take precautions to protect wildlife in forest and adjoining areas. Published - September 02, 2026 11:34 am IST