Tirupati in grip of fear as elephant herd and leopard roam near Tirumala foothills

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.

Officials from the Nagapatla forest range have urged devotees to trek in groups and remain alert. Residents of Srinivasa Mangapuram, Narasingapuram, Ramireddypalle, A. Rangampeta, as well as students and staff at Mohan Babu University (MBU), and commuters on the Tirupati–Anantapur national highway have been advised to stay vigilant for possible elephant movement in their areas.

Deputy Chief Minister and Forest Minister K. Pawan Kalyan has taken note of the situation and directed forest officials to strengthen patrolling in the forest fringe villages. During a teleconference, he instructed the formation of WhatsApp groups in each affected village to facilitate real-time updates on elephant movement. Expressing condolences over the death of a farmer in a recent elephant attack in neighbouring Chittoor district, Mr. Kalyan cautioned officials against complacency and emphasised the need for proactive coordination between departments and communities.