Trained kumki elephants in Chittoor district are guiding wild herds away from farmlands to curb human-elephant conflicts. Camps at Naniyala and Palamaner house these elephants, which have handled multiple incidents successfully. Officials describe this as a shift toward coexistence.
Farmer Rajendran, 65, expressed concern over his groundnut crop near Ragimanupenta village in Bangarupalem mandal, Chittoor district. Elephant tracker Subramani identified tracks of a 5-6 elephant herd from Tamil Nadu and alerted the kumki team. "They are only looking for food and a path. If we understand their movement, we can avoid conflict," Subramani told the farmer.
Asian elephants have reappeared since the early 1980s at the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu-Karnataka tri-junction, impacting Chittoor, Tirupati, and Annamayya districts. Agricultural expansion, road construction, and settlements have fragmented their habitat, forcing herds into human areas and causing crop losses, livestock deaths, and human casualties.
The Naniyala kumki camp in Ramakuppam features Jayanth and Vinayak, both in their late 60s. A new Palamaner camp, inaugurated eight months ago by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, houses Krishna, Abhimanyu, Ranjan, and Deva from Karnataka. These kumkis have prevented herds from crossing Chennai-Bengaluru railway tracks and halted a month-long raid over 200 km from Puttur to Nagalapuram.
"This is not just about managing elephants; it is about creating a system where both people and wildlife can survive together," District Forest Officer G. Subburaj said. Mahouts build strong bonds, training elephants to respond to 64 commands. Though public adoption programs see low participation, perceptions are shifting toward coexistence.