Farmer killed in elephant attack near Piler

Tirupati: A farmer in his late 50s, identified as Raja Reddy from Kothapalli village near Piler, lost his life in a tragic elephant attack.

The attack took place near Bandarlapalli in the Piler region of Annamayya district. The incident occurred early in the morning on Tuesday while Reddy was tending to his fields and herding cattle. He was attacked by a group of elephants, which led to his death on the spot.

While the elephants moved into a nearby mango orchard after the attack, forest department officials arrived at the scene and began efforts to drive the elephants back into the forest. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway.

The incident sparked outrage among the local villagers, who expressed concerns about the rising elephant movement in the area. They criticised the forest department for its alleged negligence in preventing such encounters and demanded compensation for the victim's family.

Piler MLA Nallari Kishore Kumar Reddy visited the site along with forest officials to assess the situation. He also met Raja Reddy's family, offering them condolences and assuring government support. Speaking to reporters, Kishore criticised the lack of coordination among forest officials. He alleged that without informing local authorities properly, Chittoor district officials had driven the elephants into Annamayya district on October 14. The MLA urged the district Collectors and forest officers of both the districts to collaborate on a safer plan to relocate the elephants away from human habitations, rather than merely chasing them into neighbouring areas.